Moon Struck
by Betty More Fishe
Summary: When Aurora Harry Potter is bitten on the job, he calls in a life debt owed to him by the Potion Master Draco Malfoy.  Complications arise!  Slash! Wolf!Harry Sub!Draco :
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter had been an Aurora for three months, when his team discovered Greyback in an old crypt on the night of the full moon. They hadn't realized Greyback was in the crypt, so it was only thanks to Harry's quick thinking that no one on his team was killed. They managed to sedate the fully turned werewolf and pack him off to Azkaban before they all headed home. It wasn't till Harry got home and started washing his robes that he realized he had been bit. The right thing to do, would be to report to the ministry his _infliction_, but he had seen what that did for Remus Lupin, his friend had told him about some of the laws preventing him from ever having too much money or a home of his own. He didn't want to be persecuted as his old mentor had, he couldn't afford to be, not with Andromeda and Teddy dependant on him for their daily living.

So he didn't report it to the ministry, but he did go to Hermione. He couldn't risk not going to Hermione. He needed to either find somewhere he could lock himself down or find someone who knew how to brew the wolfsbane potion, and Hermione was always the best at finding things. Hermione had done a quick spell, to confirm that he had been infected, then had looked quite morose as she said, "I'm afraid I'd have no idea where to even start brewing this particular potion, Professor Snape was the only one who ever brewed it successfully and he kept his notes under lock and key." Hermione had pursed her lips and said, "Draco might be able to."

Harry had scoffed, "Malfoy! You want me to go to Malfoy and ask him to brew the potion?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "I know you still don't like Draco, but he's the only Potions Master I know, and he owes you two life debts, so he can't refuse and if you ask him not to tell anyone he won't be able to. I also have it on good authority that Snape gave him access to his notes in the event of his death so Draco might be the only person who _can_ brew the potion."

After Harry had grudgingly agreed to it, Hermione had said, "Right, I'll inform Draco tomorrow at lunch." At Harry's confused expression she patted his hand and said, "Didn't I tell you, Draco and I have lunch together once a week?"

Harry had snapped, "Why would you have lunch with that git?"

Hermione gave Harry the look, the one that clearly stated she thought he was an idiot and couldn't see the obvious, "Because Draco is one of the few friends I have who can actually have an intelligent conversation, we can talk for hours, either about the latest discover he's made in potions, or the latest case study I've been doing."

Harry had been perplexed, Draco Malfoy had been horrible to Hermione in school, called her every name in the book, how could she just up and call him her friend? When Harry voiced these thoughts Hermione smiled and said, "A year ago I never would have thought to call him my friend. He _was_ horrible to me, but one day about five months ago I was looking for a very rare potion, and one of the other med-witches recommended I go to this little shop, the shop told me they didn't have the potion in storage, but the Potions Master who supplied their shop would probably have it, he gave me his card. Obviously the Potion Master turned out to be Draco, and at first I was hesitant to fire-called him, but I really need that potion. After talking for a little while, Draco invited me over, and we talked for a bit. Before I left, he apologized for being so horrible in school, said he regretted it. He said he still believed that Purebloods need to be treasured but that his believes where never the real reason he had been so cruel. He admitted to being jealous of me. At first I was suspicious, I thought maybe he just had some sort of agenda, but then he invited me to lunch and soon I realized he really wasn't the same Draco Malfoy we used to fight with in school. He didn't even insult Ron when he came along to one of our lunches to be sure Draco wasn't trying to make a move on me or something."

Harry was still reeling over the conversation two days later. Hermione had send him an owl confirming that Draco would keep it a secret and was looking into Snape's notes on the potion, and that Draco would contact him soon. She hadn't said when Draco would be contacting him, or how, only that he would soon. As He finally forced himself into slumber, he hoped that soon meant sometime tomorrow.

Auror


	2. Chapter 2

Draco Malfoy was not a happy, he did not, under any circumstances want to talk to Harry Potter, even more so now that said boy was a _werewolf_! He had to many close encounters with that monster Greyback, and if he hadn't know for a fact that he could not be infected he would have run for the hills, life-debt or no life-debt. Of course he wouldn't tell Potter that he couldn't get infected, not if he could help it. He intended to make this as horrible for the Golden Boy as it was for him, and he had discovered back in his school das that guilt was the best tool to use against his still-arch-nemesis.

As step one to Draco's Make-Potter-As-Miserable-As-Me Plan, he delayed the fire-calling him till two-o-clock in the morning, to be sure he would wake Potter from a fitful sleep. Like always his plan backfired, he hadn't accounted for the fact that Potter apparently slept in nothing but his boxers, and that his blurry eyed, just rolled out of bed hair looked even cuter when he literally did just roll out of bed. Draco was force to remind himself that Potter was not cute! Damn his brain for even thinking that word in the same paragraph as Potter.

Like normal, when he felt an overwhelming amount of feelings, he hid them between the trademark Malfoy sneer and told Potter off for not answering his call faster. Potter didn't rise to the bait, and Draco really didn't know if that was good or if he was really disappointed. He pushed it to the back of his mind and got back on subject, he _did_ actually have a reason for this call. He sighed and without further ado, said, "Potter, I need you to come see me."

Potter looked a bit god-smacked, totally wide eyed and open jawed. Draco rolled his eyes and tacked on, "The potion is different for each individual, it needs to be keyed into your metabolism. For that I need to actually take some readings off you, and although I loath to be in your presence, I will not risk botching a potion just because of my own preferences."

Potter rubbed at his eyes, causing his glasses to go crooked in a cute way, and Draco had to remind himself that POTTER WAS NOT CUTE! Potter sighed and said in a groggy voice, "'ll right, what time?"

Draco frowned, Potter wasn't supposed to be like this. He wasn't supposed to just agree. He didn't know how Potter was suppose to be, but he knew he shouldn't be like this. Draco snarled, "3 o clock." And ended the call, before he could think about how cute… POTTER WAS NOT CUTE!


	3. Chapter 3

Harry had been more than a little confused. It had taken him three cups of coffee and a very long conversation with Hermione over lunch, to finally understand what was going on. He had been half asleep when Draco called and had almost not caught most of the conversation. What he had caught was that Draco needed to actually see him in person to be able to make an accurate potion, and that Draco had sounded almost like he was in pain. Like talking to him was painful.

Harry still didn't understand what was wrong with Draco, but Hermione had given him Draco's fire-address so that when 3 o-clock rolled around he could actually meet Draco. He was a bit nervous, and for once actually took the time to pick out a nice set of robes and shave, and attempt to tame his hair. He didn't know why, but he felt like he needed to prove to Draco that he wasn't some slob. He didn't let his mind think about it any further than that.

Five minutes to 3, Harry went through the floo, to the address Hermione had given him. He was a bit surprised when he came through to a tiny little sitting room with antique furniture. He glanced around in surprise, and checked the time, at about four minutes to 3, he heard cursing coming from down a little hallway he hadn't even noticed till he herd sounds coming from it. The hallway led to a staircase going down into a dark obis, and with some trepidation Harry slowly began his decent. Thirty eight steps down and some dim light finally hit him as he came through to what appeared to be some sort of lab. There were several long tables with different potions in different stages of the brewing process, and standing at the very far end of the very far table, was a man with a familiar head of platinum blond hair.

Draco cursed loudly, and as Harry crept closer he could see the burnt remnants of a caldron sitting on the table before the Malfoy. Draco seemed to be trying to figure out exactly what had gone wrong when the floorboard creaked beneath Harry's foot. In the time it took Harry to breath in, Draco had dropped the papers he had been holding, spun around, and pulled his wand. Draco blinked a few times at the sight of his once arch nemesis, before taking a deep breath and putting his wand back into his pocket. For the first time Harry noticed that Draco was not wearing the custom robes, but what appeared to be muggle trousers and a t-shirt with some foreign Logo.

Draco glanced at a clock hanging on the far wall and said, "You're early, I didn't expect you to arrive on time."

Harry just raised an eyebrow, and Draco quickly set to reorganizing the papers he had dropped. Once they were all in a nice neat pile Draco turned and said, "I need some of your hair and nail clipping, all fresh." When Harry gave him a confused look, he added, "Apparently before I can set the potion to your specifications I need to know what your specifications are, hair and nail clippings will go into a separate potion called _Statua_, which will allow me to better ascertain what place you have in the wolf hierarchy. I can't complete the wolfsbane to your specifications without that."

Harry frowned and asked, "Snape did this with Remus? What was Remus?"

Draco shrugged and said, "Remus was an omega, slightly rare and a little harder to work with than a normal submissive, which is what you'll likely be. Most are, Greyback was, surprisingly."

Harry frowned but gave his consent none the less. Draco quickly plucked a hair from his head and pulling a pair of fingernail clippers out of seemingly thin air, he grabbed his hand and none to gently clipped a few of the longer nails. Draco without further ado, rushed the samples over to one of the cauldrons that was steaming on a nearby table and dumped them in. Harry fidgeted and asked, "Is that all?"

Draco glanced up from stirring the potion and said, "Once this is done you'll need to drink it."

At Harry's wide eyed look Draco snarled, "Just have a seat Potter, it'll only be a minute." When Harry continued to stare at him he added, "If I was going to try something I would have just hexed you, not risked my reputation as a Potions Master. Now sit down!"

Harry reluctantly did as Draco bade him, sitting on the very edge of one of the many stools littering the room. Draco turned back to the potion, adding a few ingredients and stirring it first one direction then the other. After about ten minutes Draco dipped a ladle into the now blue potion and carefully gathered a good scoop before pouring it into what looked suspiciously like a shot glass. Draco then carefully walked over to Harry and held out the glass. Harry grimaced at the faint odor coming off the potion as he took it and without further ado, drank the whole thing.


	4. Chapter 4

Draco felt himself go wide eyed with panic, he hadn't thought Potter would drink the whole thing. He was about eight five percent sure Potter was a submissive wolf, but even if he was a submissive, drinking that much of the potion that fast could be dangerous. The potion was designed to bring the inner wolf to the surface long enough to be categorized as either Submissive, Omega, or heaven forbid, Dominant. Severus had stated in his notes that as a precaution he should set up wards but at this point Potter had had drank it so fast that he didn't have time.

Before Draco could think what to do, Potter's eyes went yellow as he suddenly launched himself at Draco. Draco didn't even have time to feel afraid, before he found himself pinned to the ground. When Draco squirmed, trying to dislodge the werewolf, Potter snarled and Draco yelped as the werewolf suddenly bit into his neck.

Draco felt terror seize him at the same time he felt the sharp pain. The pain wasn't anything new, between his father and being a death eater Draco had felt a lot of pain before and had gotten use to it. It wasn't the fact that Potter was a wolf either, it was still a few weeks before the full moon and Draco knew for a fact that he couldn't be turned into a werewolf, after Greyback he had taken the only precaution a wizard could take and had discovered his animigus form. So if it wasn't the pain or the fear of being turned then why did Draco feel a mix of terror and horror as Potter's teeth broke the skin of his neck?

It wasn't till Potter pulled back and ran his tongue gently over the bight, lapping up the few stray drops of blood, that Draco remembered an obscure text he had read a few days ago on wolves, and their mating habits. Draco felt his chest constrict and for a moment he thought he might have a panic attack. He had to force himself to think that Potter was just showing his dominance and that this was not a claiming, Potter wasn't gay, and he didn't fancy him. By the time he had evened out his breathing Potter seamed to have gathered his own control as he gasped out, "Malfoy?"

Draco snarled "Potter! Get off me! "

Potter seemed torn for a moment, his eyes flashed yellow and he let out a small snarl. Draco, quickly dropped his gaze and tilted his head just so, displaying his neck. Not because he wanted to but because he knew it was the only way to placate Potter's wolf, who was obviously a dominant. When Potter had calmed down and the yellow had began to fade from his eyes, Draco mumbled, "Please get off me."

Potter slowly pulled away, and suddenly as the last of the yellow dissipated, Potter seemed to notice the bloody bight for the first time as he gasped out, "Oh god, are you…"

Draco snapped, "It's fine."

As he slowly pushed himself off the floor, being careful not to meet Potter's eyes and risk possibly bringing the wolf back to front at the prospect of a challenge. Potter reached out as if to touch the bloody wound and Draco cursed inwardly for flinching. He was a Malfoy, he should never flinch. Potter looked like he was going to cry as he asked, "Oh god, does this mean you're…?"

Draco cut him off by snapping, "The full moon is just over two weeks away. I repeat, I'm fine. I've got all the information I need for the potion, you can leave now."

Potter looked like he wanted to protest, Noble Gryffindor that he was he couldn't leave someone he thought he had just hurt, so Draco put as much venom into his voice as he could muster as he shouted, "Get out Potter!"

Potter gave Draco that kicked puppy look as he flinched at the cruel note to Draco's voice. As he scurried out of the room he let out a quite, "Thank you."

Draco waited till he herd the whoosh of the Floo, signaling his departure, before collapsing to the ground and clutching at his throbbing neck. He would have to read up on this whole ordeal, but that could come later, right now he just needed a moment to collect himself.


	5. Chapter 5

Ever since Harry had gone to see Draco Malfoy about his potion, ever since he had laid eyes on the blond for the first time since the war, he couldn't sleep. Well he _could,_ but he was too horrified by the last time he had to try. He had dreamt of the blond, dreamt of pushing him down and bighting him on the neck. If that weren't sick enough, after bighting him he had dreamt of ripping their clothes off and pushing Malfoy face first into the dirt, forcing his legs slightly apart and his ass in the air and then, worst yet, he dreamed of ramming into his tight heat as he screamed.

He woke up with wet sheets and a sense of shame and fear. At first he had been afraid it was all a memory, he could still _taste_ Draco's blood, but then he remembered that the room didn't have dirt floors, it had been some sort of fancy wood.

As the days crept by and he went longer and longer without sleep, he began to feel feral, like a caged animal that was ready to break free and rip something, anything to pieces. He wanted to rut into something, and he would have normally called a friend or taken a potion to look like someone else so he could go find some lad of the night to take home, but he didn't want to risk it. Malfoy had said he was okay but Harry wasn't so sure. Guilt and something else were constantly gnawing at his sub-conscious.

It was a week before the full moon when he started to get this feeling that he _had_ to see Malfoy. That he had to look him in the eyes and touch him, and make sure he was alright. He felt oddly like Malfoy might just disappear if he didn't. He barely managed to keep himself from grabbing a bit of powder and just going to see Malfoy. It was a very long night, and when he went into work, the feeling that something bad was going to happen to Malfoy just doubled.

He got called into the head Aurura's office for a debriefing on a new case. Apparently some up start, want-to-be-the-next-dark-lord was picking up and torturing not so loyal Slytherin. Pansy Parkinson had been found a few days ago, near death and some were afraid she was going to end up like Neville's parents, because it was so obvious she had been exposed to the Cruciatus one too many times. Luckily that morning she had started to come around and the med-witches thought she would be able to testify and Ron and Harry were being sent to take her testimony.

They were both surprised that before they could get to her room in the hospital, Hermione stopped them to inform them that Pansy had been assigned to her, and that they would not be speaking to her directly until she was in a more stable mental situation. As it was she explained that the group of six men who had kidnapped and tortured Pansy had used several charms to keep her confused about their identities. The only clear things she could actually recall as a side effect, was the muggle van they used to transport her between locations, the effectiveness of the torture, and the general information the group had been trying to obtain from her, which was the location of the Malfoy's.

Hermione sighed, they had been talking for some time about what little Pansy had been able to recall, and she now felt it was time to reveal the piece that scared her the most, "Pansy was very certain that she did not give away Mr. or Mrs. Malfoy's location, simply because they have secrecy spells to prevent such, but she was quite upset when she mentioned she might have let slip that Draco lived on his own, she thinks she might have even told them a close approximation to his warehouse. Normally I wouldn't be worried, because Draco has some pretty great wards himself, but he didn't show up for lunch yesterday, I thought… well when we talked last week he had mentioned taking on a big project, but no matter what he normally at least sends a note or something to let me know if he going to be late, and that's only happen twice. He's _never_ just not shown up."

There was a long silence, and Harry could practically feel the worry rolling of his friend in waves, so he sighed and said, "Maybe I should go by and see if he's really just immursed in his project or if we need to be worried."

Hermione smiled and said, "Thank you Harry. Maybe he just lost track of time."

She didn't sound very confident in that thought though. Harry sighed and was about to ask Ron if he would come along when a little humming bird flew up to them and told them to hurry up and return with their report. Ron sighed and said, "I'll take care of that, I'm sure you can handle Malfoy on your own, right Harry!"

Ron patted Harry on the back and headed to the flow, Hermione smiled uneasily and said, "Thank you for checking on him, I would myself, but frankly I've already been away from Pansy for too long, she's in critical condition, I really should get back. I'll let you know if I learn anything new."

Then Hermione too was leaving him, and he sat alone in the little waiting room they had sequestered for nearly twenty minutes before he got up the nerve to actually head to the flow and try to reach Malfoy.


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: Um... warning graphics D: also sorry if it's short I'm just trying to be a good author and update update update! Also for those who questioned my absence for a while, I put a bit up on my profile. Sorry I know it was sucky, but please be understanding. _

Draco tried not to groan as he came to. To say the night before had not been pleasant would be a complete understatement. He was pretty sure the only way he could break more bones in his body would be to jump off the highest tower in Hogwarts, and the only way to do more damage to his muscles would be to light himself on fire and burn them off. Both were better endings then what he suspected these men had in mind.

Draco barely kept himself from falling back into a pit of self-loathing. How could he have let these men get to him? How could he have been so weak as to not notice when someone was _breaking into his warehouse_? Sure he was preoccupied with brewing one of the most complex potions of all times, but how did he not hear these men barging around his upstairs rooms? How did he not grab his wand up and flay them alive!?

Potter was to blame for all this. Ever since he forced Draco into this stupid arrangement he had been a bit out of sorts, then the bloody Gryffindor had pushed him down like that, and although he had been terrified at the time, afterwards the imagery had shifted. That night he had dreamt of Potter pushing him down. Of bighting him and penetrating him, and making him scream in pleasure. Draco had not had to clean his own sheets in shame in a very long time and he had not appreciated Potter bringing that out in him.

He had been avoiding sleeping ever since, but Potter hadn't just gotten his subconscious thinking about sex. No, he had bit him, when he was more wolf than he ever should be so far from a full moon. Draco had pulled every book on wolves and werewolves and even shifters and all of them indicated the same thing. A bight was a claim, and in certain places it meant certain things. Where Potter had bit him was were only a potential mate would bight him. Which meant Potter was a dominant wolf who had put a claim on him.

The same tired old line kept going through his head. Potter was a dominant wolf. The Wolfsbane would give him control during the full moon, but only by merging him together with his wolf. If his wolf wanted to get frisky, Draco would be at it's mercy because Potter was a dominant wolf. He couldn't be contained, not like a normal wolf could, not if he didn't want to be. He had been so caught up in his own head and what this all meant, when those bastards had broken into his warehouse and hit him with more spells than he could even register, which was actually something in their favor. They were pretty good for being idiotic low life wizards. He might have said something to that effect before they started hitting him with unforgivable.

Draco could hear them arguing now. A couple of them were of the mindset that even though they apparently hated Draco and all that he stood for, that they shouldn't put a pretty face to waste. Based on the fact that the others were arguing that he was a Malfoy and to fuck him would be degrading, he could assume that these were Slytherin. He was pretty sure any other house would have at least attempted to act like rape was morally wrong. Sure Draco thought it was, as did those he associated with these days, but they were oddities.

He heard a bit of a scuffle, some more breaking objects, then silence for a time. He wasn't too surprised when three of the men from before entered, all with horribly smug looks on their faces. Dear Merlin he didn't like the way these things were panning out, but did they really think they were going to be able to break him. Even if they did rape him, it wasn't like it was something he hadn't already experienced during the war. If he could come back from what he had been through, he really had to wonder if anything could really truly break him. He knew that would all change if h thought his mother was in danger, but he knew she was safe, so he only had to worry about himself.

No, these men and the act they were planning to force on him, didn't scare him, but he decided that it wasn't in his best interest to act it. No he needed the element of surprise, so when they approached he started blubbering, "No.. you can't…"

The red head, who could have almost passed for a Weasley, smirked as he roughly grabbed Draco's hair and said, "Your going to open your mouth, and your going to behave, aren't you pet?"

Draco made a show of reluctantly opening his mouth, causing the other two men to hoot with glee. The red head took that as his cue to force his cock nearly all the way into Draco's mouth, and once Draco was sure he was deep enough that he couldn't pull out too fast, he let out a snarl as he bit down. The red head screamed and fell over, clutching at his bleeding crotch, and as the others suddenly tried to move forward to incapacitate him, he let the familiar shift take over, and suddenly he was leaping at the thug to the right, claws out. His claws ripped into the man's throat, and as he fell to the ground, he spat out the peace of flesh still in his mouth as he turned on the only man in the room, not on the ground in agony. The man raised his wand and Draco barely managed to dodge the hex the man sent before he leapt into the air and bit the man's neck, causing him to drop to the ground. Draco felt his stomach turn as he looked around at the dead bodies around him. He barely managed to turn human in time to lose his lunch.


	7. Chapter 7

Draco was just wiping at his mouth when he heard thundering footsteps on the stairs, he glanced about at the bodies around him there was no way he could cover this up in time if it was Granger and if it wasn't then he should prepare for an attack of some kind, but he was exhausted. When the Harry Potter came busting into the room, Draco didn't know if he should be relieved, annoyed, or perhaps afraid. Draco could faintly feel him using magic to assess exactly what had happened in the room but he just looked puzzled. When his eyes finally landed firmly on Draco.

When Draco didn't move Potter took a deep breath and his voice sounded strange when he asked, "Did they…? Oh Merlin Draco, I need you to tell m if your okay or not."

Draco considered his options, finally he let out a breath, he wince though when he realized that he was seriously lacking in the clothes department. It hadn't really bothered him before, he hadn't really cared when they ripped his clothes off, but now… with Potter looking at him, he felt himself staring at the ground doing his hardest not to look at Potter and saying, "Do you mind not looking till I can get upstairs and grab some clothes?"

Potter swallowed audibly and said, "Yeah, I'll come with you, just to be safe, but I won't…"

Draco glanced up at Potter's face to find him blushing brilliantly. Draco sighed and squared his shoulders. He stepped over the body of the man he had clawed, the body that was rapidly cooling, and even though he hadn't even blinked, hadn't even thought twice about doing it in the moment, suddenly he felt sick at his decision. Part of him was screaming that he had enough control, he could have incapacitated the man without killing him, but another part, the part that sounded mysteriously like his grandfather told him he only had two options. These men had broken into his residence, where he lawfully practice his art, they needed to either be quickly dispatched or slowly tortured. He had to send a message that this sort of nonsense was not tolerated or else more would come. Yes, more would come if they didn't show them it wasn't worth it. He knew that.

He knew if he hadn't ended it like he had, not just then but during the war, then the pain would have never stopped. He would have continued to be the Death Eater's toy, he had to do the things he did, had to show where he stood. The court had reluctantly agreed, they had to when Pansy gave over her few memories of visiting the Manor during the war. Just a few hours all together and one of the elder members had thrown up, and it was said that he might as well have been under an unforgivable the whole time.

Draco vaguely noted that Potter was doing his best to follow him without looking at him, but for the most part he was lost in his mind. After the war was over and his mother and father had gone into hiding, he had locked away those memories as firmly as he could. He almost snorted when he realized that besides the naughty dream Potter had forced on him, he had not had a single night where those memories didn't try to slip out into his dreams.

Draco had arrive at the little wardrobe he kept close to the first floor loo, just in case he ever spilt something while in his warehouse, he didn't have to go all the way up to his bedroom to get some decent clothes. Initially he had put it in because he had been expecting to have to change whenever he got visitor, but… Since the war his fellow snakes had either been imprisoned, or fled, or in the case of Pansy and Blaise, were just too busy or embarrassed or _something_ because they hadn't been to see him, not once. In fact Granger had been the first visitor to actually enter his little home and warehouse. That had been a surprise, and she had invited him to lunch, and Draco had been forced to sort of put himself together in order to go out in public, and still he had been expecting at least someone to insult him or to spit at him or to hex him, but… none of that had happened. Granger had picked a nice restaurant just off Diagon Alley, and the few people who had looked their way had only had eyes for her. She had insisted they make it a recurring event, and he had to admit that h was grateful for their weekly meetings, they were the only times he actually _spoke_ to real people.

He hadn't even minded when Weasley showed up, Weasley had insulted him of course, but then Granger had elbowed him so hard in the ribs he was sure he heard a crack. Weasley had come to a few of their lunches, whenever he had some time off, and slowly his presence grew less abrading to Draco's nerves. He doubted either of them would ever be the best of friends, but they got along fine, all things considered. By this point Draco had managed to get on a pair of trousers and was buttoning up his shirt with fingers that trembled slightly. Maybe he should check the time, the med-witch had told him he was suppose to be eating every three to four hours, and no sweets unless he snuck them in with a meal. He was pretty sure it had been a lot longer than four hours since he had last ate. He felt weak, light headed, like the world was spinning, and now he felt like he might throw up.

Draco leaned against the wardrobe drawer and Potter asked, "Malfoy?"

Draco hummed a bit in response, but kept his eyes closed. Maybe if he could just lie down for a minute or two, yes that sounded quite nice. As he slid to the ground Potter was suddenly next to him, trying to hold him up, then giving up and helping him lie down. Potter muttered something under his breath, then Draco heard him rush off. That was probably a good thing, he didn't really want to be by a wolf right now, even if the wolf was still buried under the human, that wouldn't last. He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he suddenly heard Granger ask, "Draco, can you hear me?"

Draco opened his eyes to find that he was in fact surrounded by the golden trio. Funny he hadn't heard them approach, he felt like he was forgetting something. Granger frowned and said, "Draco, I'm going to perform a basic diagnostic spell, just to figure out what's wrong."

Draco groaned and muttered, "I just need to eat something, get my sugar back up."

Granger frowned and said, "Are you diabetic?"

Draco frowned and said, "The med-witch said it was some muggle term, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't it."

Granger pursed her lips, and then asked, "Hypoglycemic? Was that the term?"

Draco gave a slight nod, and Granger gave a worried smile as she pulled out her bag and dug around until she produced some sort of wrapped confection. She opened one end and handed it to Draco who gave it a slightly mistrusting look before taking a bight. He grimaced, it didn't taste very pleasant, in fact it tasted a bit like dirt, but he was pretty sure the med-witch had given him something similar when she had diagnosed him. When he had finished the bar, Granger pulled out a water bottle and again opened it for him. He took a few drinks than mumbled, "Thanks" as he handed the bottle back and leaned back down. After a few minutes the world stopped spinning and his head felt a whole lot clearer.

He sat back up and said, "Alright Potter, I'm prepared to give my statement, but I will tell you right now you and the other Auroras have exactly one hour to complete your investigation, and take any notes before I banish you all from my place of residence."


	8. Chapter 8

_AN: So if you were on here earlier you might have noticed how I had a little mess up with a chapter going to the wrong story, I'm going to say it was an April Fools joke, although the joke was on myself. _

Draco sighed, he just had to face the facts, Potter's wolf had claimed him. He had read everything he could on werewolves and all of them stated the same thing, if a werewolf, outside the moon's power, intentionally marked someone exactly where Potter had, it meant the wolf wished to be mated to that person for life. He read and kept re-reading every passage he could find, even in Severus's journals. Finally when he had decidedly had enough, he fire-called Hermione and asked if she could come over. She had smiled and come through right away, but then she got one good look at Draco and her eyes had widened to the size of an owls and she gasped out, "Oh no, Draco I'm so sorry, are you alright? If I had thought Harry was dangerous I would have never..."

Draco held up a hand for silence and then said, "Potter's not dangerous, just, come read this book and tell me what you think."

Draco handed her one of the best, realistic books Draco had ever read about a werewolf, in fact he had gotten the distinct impression that either the anonymous author was a werewolf or was mated to one. After about twenty minutes of silence Hermione closed the book and said, "Everything makes so much sense now. Ron and I always thought Harry was a little obsessed with you, but then when you disappeared after the final battle, it was like you disappeared from his mind. Draco, tell me honestly, do you hate Harry?"

Draco frowned and said, "Of course I don't hate Potter, if I truly hated him it wouldn't matter if I owed him a million life debts, I'm that stubborn when I set my mind to it."

Hermione sighed with relief but then tensed and asked, "Do you find Harry attractive?"

Draco wanted to throw potion ingredients at the silly girl, but instead he just blushed and said, "What the bloody hell are you getting at?"

Hermione smiled and said, "It says it right here, 'a werewolf's mating mark will only stick if said mate is interested in said werewolf."

Draco felt his blush deepen and snatched the book from Hermione as he said, "It can't say that, you have to be kidding… Oh dear. Well this book must be wrong, Potter's lost his mind and I'm going to die from infection. Yes infection must have set into the wound, that's why it's sticking around, not because… I DON'T LIKE POTTER!"

By that point Hermione had lost herself in a fit of giggles and after several minutes she got ahold of herself and said, "Really Draco, why don't you fire-call Harry and have _him_ read this?"

Draco shook his head and said, "No, I am staying far away from Potter, I will make his potion and I will leave it in the dungeons and I will visit my cousin in France the nights of the full moon, so I never have to even see him, and he never has to see me so he won't feel the urge to actually _mate_ me."

With that Draco strode down the hallway and set to work, with a plan in mind he felt much more secure in where he stood now. Of course he completely forgot he left Hermione Granger alone in his entrance with said book with all the facts in it."


	9. Chapter 9

Harry Potter could not stop thinking about Draco Malfoy. He barely functioned at work, barely ate, barely did anything because every thought led back to Draco, who had grown to be a handsome wizard, yes indeed. No more pointy git, no Draco was soft in the face but the rest of him had looked hard and muscular underneath all those pesky clothes. Harry knew he needed to stop thinking about Draco, he needed to stop imagining what he tasted like, what his skin would fell like under his hand, what his body would feel like pressed up against him. Yes since Harry had fled Draco's potion room he had been perpetually hard and could hardly _think_ about anything but Draco.

The worst part was he didn't just think about what Draco would be like in bed, but he was starting to imagine what he would be like in every aspect of Harry's life. What would it be like to have every meal with him, what it would be like to come home to his snarky humor. Harry wanted that so bad, and he knew it didn't make sense, Draco had been a total git to him, but he had also been brilliant and so calm even when he had yelled his heart rate hadn't accelerated like most people's when they got angry. He had never thought someone could make the job of a Potions Master look sexy but Draco had.

Harry had finally gotten home, and was contemplating which image of Draco would be the best material for a good wank, when suddenly his fire flared and Hermione's head appeared in the flames. Harry was about to tell her it was a bad time when she said, "I just came from Draco's place, I have something you definitely want to read, immediately."

Harry frowned but said, "Alright, come over Hermione."

Hermione came through the floo with a book that looked like it had seen some seriously better years. Hermione hefted it to Harry's table and opened it up to a red ribbon that was marking the page. She then pushed it in front of Harry and took a seat with her arms folded and an expectant look on her face. Harry frowned but began reading, and as he read things began to make a lot of sense. So his wolf realized what he as a human alone could not, that Draco was perfect for him in every way. He was magically and intellectually compatible, not to mention sexually, and Harry had to admit when Draco's humor wasn't directed at him or his friends, it _was_ terribly funny. Draco was also a challenge, he wouldn't just roll over and take whatever was given to him, no he fought tooth and nail for what he felt he deserved.

Harry swallowed and said, "Hermione, you said you got this book from Draco?"

Hermione nodded and said, "Oddest thing was, when I showed up he had this terrible bite mark right here." She pointed to the point on her neck that was relatively where Harry had bit Draco and added, "He seems to be of the mindset that even though evidence to the contrary is staring him in the face, that he is not interested in completing the mate bond."

Harry tensed and asked, "But my marks still on him?"

Hermione nodded with a smirk and said, "Draco seems to think if he just avoids you that this will all go away, but when I asked him how he felt about you, he avoided answering, which means that he feels something. Now the question is, do you have enough control to go over there and do this right, or will actually seeing Draco make you lose control?"

Harry licked his lips and said, "No, I can stay in control, I won't be satisfied with just a forced bond, or a onetime mating."

Hermione smiled and said, "Alright, so here's my plan…"


	10. Chapter 10: AN: Correction

_Author's note: Sorry this isn't a chapter, this is just to let everyone who read chapter 8 before I realized my error (I mixed two of my stories up, forgive me, if it's any cancelation I was on pain medication for my wisdom teeth (Evil Dentist stole them) and I didn't get it fixed immediately because I fell asleep) that the actual chapter 8 that belongs to this story should be in the process of uploading, I had to take Chapters 8 and 9 down to sort it all out, but they should be back up and correct. _


	11. Chapter 11

Draco was in the midst of one of the hardest steps in the wolfsbane potion he was brewing for stupid gorgeous Potter. He was so focused on his task he didn't even reprimand his brain for thinking for even a second that Potter was gorgeous. He had just added the finally drop of wolfs blood and was setting down the dropper with a sigh of relief, when he heard the bell he had installed to let him know if someone was fire-calling or if they had stepped through the front door to his shop. He ignored it, because he still was in the midst of a critical period for this potion, and nobody was worth botching a potion for Draco, so they could wait or come back later. Only a few moments later, when he was in the midst of stirring the potion, the door to his potions chamber opened with a click. Draco sighed and said, "Granger I gave you a key only for when I am away and a potion needs taken care of, not so that you could randomly break into my potions lab while I'm in the midst of a critical step for one of the hardest potions anyone could ever brew."

Draco didn't bother looking up from his potion, Granger was the only person who had a copy of the magical key he had created to prevent anyone from opening his door with any assortment of spells. Granger sighed and said, "Very well, _I_ will wait upstairs, how long do you think it will be before you can leave the potion to rest?"

Draco shrugged and said, "Probably another ten minutes or so."

When Draco heard footsteps heading out, he muttered, "I don't know why I put up with people, does no one know how to nock these days?" Draco grimaced as he set to work stirring the potion clockwise then muttered, "Then she barges in, what if I was in the midst of an incantation that required utter silence, just because she's brilliant does not mean I should have to overlook breaches in common courteous behavior." Draco took a deep breath and began briskly stirring counter clockwise, "What if I had been in the middle of cutting a toxic ingredient." Draco paused and began to slowly stirring each direction alternating as he mutter, "No one bloody appreciates a potions master these days, they just barge right in expecting the world and the moon for the price of a simple sleeping drought, I should have bloody taken that job in France, it at least would have been easier on my complexion."

Draco sighed, letting his posture slacken for a moment when he was finally able to pull his ladle free of the now simmering potion. As he turned to hang the bronze ladle on the drying rack his eyes caught sight of a figure at the same moment a familiar voice asked, "Do you realize you were talking out loud just now?"

Draco felt his heart stop beating for what felt like but a second but also like eternity before he jolted and dropped the item in his hand. Potter caught it before it hit the ground and Draco nearly toppled his potion over in his attempt to back away from Potter as fast as he was approaching. The dreamy smile on the Gryffindors face faltered and dimmed a bit before he said, "I didn't mean to startle you."

Draco took in a shaky breath and asked, "You… How did you get in…? Granger!"

Draco slammed the ladle into place and was about to storm past Potter to give Granger a piece of his mind when Potter put his hands up and said, "Please don't be mad at her, I asked her if she could get me in to see you, I was worried that I might have done permanent damage."

Potter grimaced when he got a good look at the bight on Draco's neck, it looked like a savage beast had bit him, and the thought made his stomach roll. Draco seemed to take in everything from Potter's hair to his shoes before asking, "Yes but why are you really here? If you're here because you think your inability to control yourself outside the moons influence will affect my potion making skills and thus the potion that will allow you the illusion of control on the nights of the moon, then you might as well leave now, because I _will_ complete this blasted potion."

Potter sighed and asked, "Why is it that you were able to look past your differences with Hermione but you can't even have a friendly conversation?"

Draco blinked, he had not expected such a question from Potter, and with his surprise he found himself answering at least part of the question, and with utter honesty, "Because despite her many faults in the ways of edict she _is_ bloody brilliant and frankly most of our fights were petty to begin with. I'd like to think I've matured enough to realize just because she can keep up a conversation on the magical properties of different substances, doesn't mean that I should personally feel threatened, it helps that she has absolutely no interest in becoming a potion's master."

Potter blinked and said, "Really? That's it? You didn't have some big epiphany? I mean you were terrible to her and all because you felt threatened? That doesn't even make sense!"

Draco sighed and said, "I wouldn't expect you to understand Potter, you're the epitome of everything I ever disliked about Gryffindor, you randomly jump into a situation without logically considering all options, you assume that everything you think and say is morally above that of everyone else even when half the time you all spout just as much prejudice as the most conservative pureblood, you assume that everything is black or white and that you can place every person into one box or the other, you completely ignore all social edict, in fact I don't even think you bothered to learn what the edict is for _any_ situation, and worst of all, you bloody snoop about, something that is rude by the way, and then have the nerve to make me into some villain. I haven't seen you making any attempts to put any old petty school rivalries behind you. In fact from what I have seen you are exactly like you were in school!"

Harry wanted to yell back, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and say, "You are absolutely right."

Draco blinked and asked in surprise, "Wait I am?"

Harry nodded and said, "Yes you are, I had Hermione come to you and basically black mail you and call in a life debt just to help me with my situation. Then I come over here and make a bloody ass of myself, judging you for the person I remember and not even considering that you might have changed or that maybe I didn't know you all that well to begin with. So for all of that I am truly sorry."

Draco opened his mouth, closed it with a frown, then asked, "Wait, did you just…?"

Harry smiled, "Apologize for being a prat? Yes, I did."

Draco could feel his brows draw together as he tried to contemplate if he had really heard what he had just heard, finally he gave up on trying to understand how someone could honestly apologize and sound so genuine, and instead decided to take it like any good Slytherin would if another Slytherin apologized, "What are you playing at Potter?"

Harry sighed and said, "I'm not playing at anything Draco, I just am trying to get past our school rivalry because like you said with your fight with Hermione, I've realized it was petty. I've changed a lot since Hogwarts."

Draco jaw tightened and he said through clenched teeth, "I may have changed enough to see past the petty fights I had with Granger and even Weasley to some extent, but a Malfoy can never just forget when someone basically spits in their face when they offer an alliance, not just once but twice. They cannot forget when someone tarnishes their image and does everything they can to make them look a fool. I cannot just forget every transgression against my person and my name that happened because of you, just because you've decided _our_ fights were petty. I may owe you _a _life debt, and I may be making you a potion that is the most complex potion any master could dream of making, but that does not mean I have forgotten that I _**died**_ because of you sixth year. I bled out, I choked on my last breath, I felt a coldness that was unbearable, like someone had replaced my core with ice, and I was lost in darkness that I thought would consume me and then my Godfather brought me back, but the pain and the cold feeling in my chest still lingers in the scars that you put on me. No med-witch or wizard can ever heal them because they are cursed scars. That's not just something I can forget, I might feel partially obligated to brew you this potion because you saved my life twice during the war, because you ended the war but that does not mean I have to pretend everything is jolly and well and be so grateful that Harry Potter the wizarding world's savior, apologized to me for coming over and acting like the prat he has always been to me. So you can take your bloody apology and get out of my potion's lab, get out of my home, do not try to contact me and tell Granger if she lets you in here again without my knowledge I will move, I will not notify her of my location and I will never brew a single potion for her or you, ever."

Harry stared at Draco in shock, mouth agape, he just couldn't process this knowledge. He had never really thought about how Draco saw everything, and he had very nearly forgotten about that night in sixth year, with Draco pale and lifeless on the bathroom floor, blood blossoming from his wound in rivers and pools of blood. He had nightmares about it to this day, but he had always thought Severus had fixed it, that Draco had been okay, that he had repented and gotten rid of the book that had given him the spell that had nearly killed an innocent boy who was just trying to protect his mother from the worst monster the wizarding world had ever known. Draco suddenly turned around, and his hand grasped at his chest, at the center where the spell had cut the deepest, and Harry had to explain, he had to make Draco understand, "I didn't mean to, I never realized it was that bad, I didn't even know what that spell did. I'm so…"

Draco spun around and he had never looked so angry before, even the traces of tears only somehow made him look more angry, "Is that suppose to make me feel better about it all, make me want to forgive you. You used a dark spell on me, one of the darkest and most painful curses I have ever in my life encountered, and you did it by accident? The truth is you can't inflict such a spell on someone, you can't send them to the brink of death, can't put them through such agony without at least partly wanting such an outcome. To kill someone you have to want them dead more than you want to let them live, so maybe you regret it now, but in that moment, you didn't hesitate to use that spell, your magic knew you were intent on making sure I did not leave that bathroom, and a part of me didn't. You took from me my last shred of childhood, you took away my safe haven, and it was because I did not feel safe in Hogwarts that my magic finally let me fix that blasted cupboard. I paid for that crime, I sat before the wizingot in chains for my mistakes, mistakes I regretted, mistakes I wanted to take back, ones I apologized for. While you got seats of honor, an order of Merlin, and a job as head aurora, I served nearly six months in Azkaban, I was forced to give up my ancestral home, because the Dark Lord had rested there and even though my mother and I never willingly let him into our home we were held accountable. If I hadn't been able to prove that not only was I chorused into taking the mark, but that I was also under age I would still be in Azkaban, freezing, starving, and rotting. If my mother hadn't have called in favors from some French Ambassadors and fled the country to become a protected diplomat she would still be in Azkaban, and my father, we both know, was killed for the crime of trying to protect his family. Although perhaps killed is to pleasant a word, no they ripped out his soul and turned him into a walking shell, than left him in an isolation chamber until his body just stopped working all together. Have you ever looked someone in the eye who has lost their soul Potter? Have you ever looked into the eyes of someone you love and watch as they slowly died? You won the war we never wanted and what price did you have to pay? You still have your friends, and you never had a family to lose to begin with, so it looks like you are better off than the rest of us."

At first, everything Draco said had been a hit to the gut for Harry. He had felt his guilt and his sorrow build, but then it by the time he was finished Harry felt the anger he had kept locked away bubble up like a fountain, and with it his magic began to lash out, and as he growled out his response the walls of the potions lab began to shake, "You think you're the only one who had to suffer? You think you're the only one who lost someone to the war? You act like all of those horrible things that happened to you were my fault. Like I was the one who invited the dark lord into your home, like I was the one who made you take the mark, like I was the one to threaten your mother, and I was the one who made you pay for your crimes. I am sorry for the things I did, I'm sorry you had to go through all that, but I will not apologize for things I had no control over."

Draco snarled, "You've always had the power, first you had Dumbledore's ear, you were after all his favorite, you could do no wrong in his eyes. You put my father in Azkaban and didn't even think how that would affect my mother or myself, the same with all the other who had by the way, been helping Severus keep his secret until suddenly they found themselves in direct contact with the dark lord. You did nothing to help me or my mother during the war, and then, even when we did what we could to help you end the bloody war, you didn't even have the decently to notify the ministry, who was giving you a fancy job with a fancy title and fancy meddle that my mother was the only reason the Dark Lord didn't know his spell hadn't really killed you. The _job_ of head aurora is to make sure every fact is presented to the wizingot prior to any court case, and yet, you didn't even come forward with any of the facts, so I will likely never see my mother again in person, because I'm still on probation and she can never step foot in Britain again!"

Draco's voice broke a bit on that last word and every ounce of anger left Harry, and he didn't even notice the damage he had caused in his anger, his eyes were on Draco who had once again turned his back on Harry and was clutching at the spot on his chest once more. Harry took several deep breaths and said, "I didn't know you were still on probation, I didn't even know the wizingot put people on probation. Look, I'm sorry, I'll try to look into this and see if there is anything I can do."

Draco's voice was hoarse as he said, "I don't want your help Potter, I just want you to get out of my potions lab, and out of my home. Now if you don't mind."

Harry sighed and said, "I'll leave but I'm still going to try and help you, at the very least your mother should be allowed to visit. I'll see what I can do."

With that Harry marched out of the potions lab, and went to the nearest flow and headed to the ministry. He would have to fire-call Hermione, who had headed to work after getting him into Draco's lab, because he really did feel like this wasn't right. Draco had paid enough for his crimes.

Draco sighed as he rubbed his eyes and took a look around his potions lab. Ingredients were all over the tables and floor, and half of his potions had tipped over. His lab had never been such a wreck. Blasted Potter and his stupid sexy wand-less magic.


	12. Chapter 12

Draco stared at his cauldron, glowered at it more like, as he cursed Potter six ways to Sunday. More than that he cursed himself though, he hadn't even noticed that he had made Potter, a newly bitten werewolf and powerful wizard, so angry that he practically destroyed half his lab. He wanted to blame Potter for the damage, but Severus had always taught him that his potions were his responsibility and if he couldn't keep someone else from sabotaging them then that was his own fault and he deserved the consequences.

So it was with a heavy sigh that he got to work cleaning up his lab and examining each potion. In the end every single potion except a small batch of dreamless sleep potion was either contaminated or spilled. It took him the entire night to get his lab back into a fit shape and when he finally had pulled himself upstairs to his kitchen, it was with another heavy sigh that he began to make himself dinner. He had managed to retain enough of his own accounts at Gringotts to be able to afford to get his potion's masters license and be able to pay off his mortgage, his potions though were what paid for everything else, from ingredients for future potions to the food he rarely touched each night.

Of course he had to go to small private stores and apothecaries to sell his potions because no bigger ones would risk someone finding out they had a ex-death eater supplying them with their potions. Every now and again the bigger companies had to order from him, due to the fact he was the best potions master in all of England and most masters in other parts of the world refused to brew certain potions that called for more dangerous ingredients, but it was rare and it took so much effort to get even the return value on some of his potions.

Every now and then his mother was able to sneak him new robes or some of his favorite chocolates by mail, but they were a rarity, as the ministry watched him like a hawk and normally intercepted any correspondence he had. If the Malfoy name was worth even a small fraction of what it once had, he could have forced the ministry to at the very least return his belonging but he had no such luck, even if he did he just didn't really have the energy or the will to fight for his own rights any more. He had at first, when the ministry had first come to him, telling him that Azkaban was overcrowded and they were thinking about attempting probation for a few of the younger assailants.

Except at first he had foolishly agreed to adhere to any regulations as long as it got him out of that hell hole, he had just been so exhausted and so hungry, he hadn't even skimmed over the papers he had signed with his own blood. It wasn't until later, after he had finally earned his first meal that he began to question their actions, or try to search for a way to be rid of their constant surveillance and their irrational regulations. The magical monitor they had put through the bone in his wrist and calf gave the ministry every bit of information they could want on him, but still they finned him for this and that, and it seemed like every week they were coming out with new restrictions until last month he had been informed that he was not to even step foot outside of his residence nor was he allowed to use his wand. He hoped terribly that they did not take his potions from him, but yesterday, before he had started working on Potter's bloody wolfsbane he had gotten a notice that the ministry wanted to come and inspect his place of residence.

He had just sat down and taken a few bights of his stale sandwich when he heard the ding that indicated he had a guest via the fireplace. Draco frowned and got up to head towards the entrance, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the aurora who had entered his main sitting room, with furniture he had transfigured to look like the antiques that had belonged to his family for centuries before the ministry had taken his replacement wand.

Seamus Finnigan had never been someone Draco would consider a kind soul, sure he had often done kind things for his fellow Gryffindors, but Draco had heard rumors recently of the cruelty he showed to the few surviving Slytherin of their year. Finnigan face went from blank to that of disgust the second his gaze fell on Draco. Draco took a deep breath and asked calmly, "What can I do for you Finnigan?"

Draco somehow managed to keep his face blank and neutral even when Finnigan pulled his wand and pointed it at Draco. After a moment where Finnigan seemed to be considering Draco's response he spoke, "I'm here on behalf of the ministry to inspect your place of residence for anything suspicious, if you cooperate than this will go by quickly and virtually painless for the both of us."

Draco held his arms out and said, "Of course, inspect away, I'll be in the kitchen finishing my dinner."

Finnigan' lip curled and he said, "No, you will stay in my line of sight at all times, if you attempt to leave the room then I will be forced to assume you are attempting to hide something."

Draco crossed his arms and said with a bit of frustration, "Very well, am I allowed to sit?"

Finnigan snapped, "Are you mouthing off?"

Draco bit back a sigh and said, "Of course not Finnigan, I am no fool."

Finnigan just seemed to get more angry as he basically spat, "I think you are, I think your mouthing off, I think I'll take that as you not cooperating, I'm sure the ministry will be happy to take away the few privileges you've been allowed."

Draco tried to keep his anger in check as he said, "I am not mouthing off Seamus."

Suddenly Finnigan was across the room and Draco gasped and gripped at the hands on his throat, as Seamus snarled, "How dare you say my name you filthy Slytherin, you should be rotting in a shallow grave not living in a house that you didn't earn, eating food that could be feeding the orphans your kind made!"

Finnigan steadily tightened his grip, until by the time he finished yelling Draco's entire world began to go dark, and he briefly lost consciousness. Draco came to with a groan when he felt a sharp pain in his gut and by the time he blinked past a surprising ach in his head, the figure attacked once more, and Draco was pretty sure it was a boot that slammed into his stomach. Draco retched with the force and in the dim lighting he saw what looked like the few bights of food he had eaten, stomach acid, and blood. Still pain just continued to blossom throughout his body, and he distantly heard a male voice screaming and cursing but he was lost in the pain and the coldness that was once again settling in his chest. Draco found himself close to losing consciousness again, when suddenly a chime rang and then a female voice was screaming, "Seamus, what the bloody hell do you think you are doing! Stop right now!"

Draco blinked and somehow managed to open his right eye enough to see the two figures standing practically on top of him. Finnigan was standing over him, with blood on his clenched knuckles and Granger was standing just an arms' length away from Finnigan with her wand drawn. Finnigan took a step away from Draco, who found himself coughing again, and this time a lot more blood and stomach acid came up. Granger glanced down at Draco briefly before asking, "What were you even doing over here Seamus?"

Finnigan stood a bit straighter and said, "The ministry has decreed that every probation offender needed to have their places of residence more regularly searched, Malfoy was resisting."

Granger put one arm on her hip and said, "He didn't look like he was resisting in the slightest when I arrived, in fact he looked unconscious, so I am certain you won't mind me fire-calling Harry to get his opinion on the matter, as he is head aurora."

Finnigan seemed to deflate a bit but he said, "I'm sure Harry will understand."

Granger didn't respond verbally she simply kept her wand trained on Finnigan as she moved to the fire-place and threw some flow powder into the fire and called out, "Head Aurora's office, Ministry of Magic."

A moment later Potter's head appeared in the flame and he asked, "Hermione? What's going on?"

He sounded worried, and Draco felt himself cough up more acid and blood, he felt himself barely lean to the side fast enough to keep from choking. Granger winced at Harry's concerned face and asked, "Would you and Ron mind coming over right away, we have a bit of a situation?"

Draco tried to focus on the two figures, but the world seemed to be spinning around him and every few seconds he kept coughing up more and more blood, and with each new bought it seemed harder and harder for him to breath. By the time the fire place dinged again Draco had completely lost the conversation and was barely holding onto consciousness. He vaguely heard a familiar voice shouting before his arms finally gave out and he lost consciousness.

_AN: Don't hate me!_

***888


	13. Chapter 13

Harry had finally been able to track down the papers the ministry had all offenders sign before they were released on probation. It had taken him a while to read through all of the terminology and get a feel for what it all actually meant, but when he finally began to understand the just of it he was horrified. He just couldn't understand how anyone would basically sign their life away, sign away all of their rights and basic freedoms. More than that he couldn't believe that Draco would sign something like this, the man was smarter than almost anyone he knew. He had just started to contemplate grabbing Ron and going out for dinner to mull it all over when his fireplace flared. Only a few people were able to access his flow so he quickly moved over to the fire and stuck his head in. He could vaguely make out Hermione in the flickering light of a broken lamp.

He frowned and asked, "Hermione? What's going on?"

Harry knew he was probably an open book in that moment, concern and an unprecedented fear that was rapidly taking hold of him. Hermione cleared her throat and said with a wince, "Would you and Ron mind coming over right away, we have a bit of a situation?"

Harry nodded and said, "I'll grab Ron and be right over. Is everything okay?"

Hermione glanced behind her a bit and said, "Just hurry please."

Harry nodded and quickly moved out of the fireplace and headed to his office door, it only took him a minute to find Ron and it took only a basic explanation of the situation to get Ron racing with Harry to his fire place and going through the still green glowing flame. It actually took Harry a few seconds to recognized the destroyed front room as the one he had left not 24 hours ago. By then Ron had already moved to Hermione's side and pulled his wand when he realized his fiancé had her own wand out and pointed at Seamus.

Seamus smiled nervously and said, "Look Ron, you have to understand I was just doing what the ministry told me to, I don't understand why Hermione is so upset, this is Malfoy we're talking about. He was called the bloody prince of Slytherin, and he still acts like he's better than us."

Harry suddenly found his gaze on the figure on the floor, and suddenly his vision sharpened and it didn't seem so dark. He felt something in him snap when he took in the blood and already darkening bruises on the pale skin, which was showing through ripped and tattered clothes. Harry felt himself growl out, "You beat him because he was in Slytherin?"

Seamus frowned and said, "He was mouthing off, he didn't appreciate everything the ministry risked allowing him out of Azkaban, he should still be in there rotting, or better yet in a grave, he even has the bloody dark mark."

Seamus moved as if he to get closer to Draco and Harry and the other two members of the Golden Trio had their wands out and practically jammed into Seamus as Harry snarled, "If it weren't for him we wouldn't have won the war, and this is how you repay him, by being just as bigoted as those who wanted to be rid of muggle born students."

Seamus gaped and seemed to be unable to find words to respond. Ron seemed to realize that Harry was just getting more and more angry by the moment because he said, "I think I'll take Seamus back to the Ministry and sit him down for a chat, Hermione why don't you and Harry take Malfoy to my house, I'm sure my mom will be able to get him patched up, she's been taking classes from some med-witches ever since the end of the war."

Seamus laughed and said, "He can't leave here or else the ministry will assume he is not complying with the terms of his probation contract and not even I am so cruel as to want to see that."

Harry nearly snarled, and he had to turn his gaze away from Seamus and away from his mate or else he was going to lose control so instead he focused on Hermione, and said, "Ron, do you think if you take him down to lock up than I can fire-call your mom and see if she can come over here."

Ron's voice was a little off when he said, "yeah, I can manage this fool, and I'll take a look at these contracts, maybe bring them over if I can find someone to watch Seamus. Mom will be happy to come over but call her quick, Malfoy doesn't look too good."

With that Ron grabbed Seamus' arm and roughly hauled him into the fire and went back to the ministry. Once they were through Hermione said, "Fire call Mrs. Weasley Harry, ask her to come right away, I don't think Draco is breathing."

Harry felt his heart nearly come out of his chest and he was instantly at the fire, his head through the Weasley's fire and after two loud shouts Mrs. Weasley was there by the fire with a frightened look, "What's wrong Harry?"

Harry took a deep breath and said quickly, "Could you come through quickly with your med-witch supplies, Seamus attached Draco and Hermione says it doesn't look like he is breathing."

Mrs. Weasley gasped and quickly summoned a very large black bag that clasped shut and then Harry was pulling his head free just in time for Mrs. Weasley to rush through. Harry had only ever really seen her move so fast when she had been taking out Bellatrix. Mrs. Weasly quickly barked to Hermion, "Roll him onto his back while I run a diagnostic spell."

Hermione complied instantly as though she had been waiting for some instruction. Mrs. Weasley actually cursed when the spell was finished and then said, "Harry, get me water and some clean linins, also if you can find any healing potions here that would be wonderful because I am not certain I have enough."

Harry rushed to comply with the order, searching destroyed room after room. It was clear that in between beating Draco, Seamus had been taking his anger out on his belongings, most of which Harry now realized were not the expensive furnishing he had thought but all cheap supplies that Draco had obviously transfigured some time ago. The furnishing now looked so worn and bear that he suspected even the Weasley's would throw it all out. It took Harry a lot longer than he was comfortable with to find a bowl that wasn't broken or dirty and then even longer to find linens but he found enough healing potions to heal at least three dozen broken bones, so Harry grabbed them all and ran back to the entrance, where Mrs. Weasley had Hermione holding Draco, whose clothes had been removed, all except his trousers, and whom looked even more bruised and battered with all that exposed skin, but he was at least breathing. As Harry set down his supplies he glanced at Hermione, who although cradling most of Draco's upper body, was focusing her gaze entirely on a medal looking contraption on Draco's arm. Harry frowned and asked, "How is he?"

Hermione blinked and then said slowly, "He should pull through, but Mrs. Weasley says even with a dozen healing potions it will be at least a few days before he's conscious let alone up and about. Seamus broke nearly all of his ribs and some of them splintered out into his organs, she still has not completely mended them, but she said he is in the clear for now. Harry did you know the ministry was putting medal magical tracking braces and ankle braces through the _bones_ of everyone on probation. I mean I knew Draco had a tracking brace, but it's through his bone!"

Mrs. Weasley sighed and said, "Harry dear, could you please take over propping Draco up, at least long enough for Hermione to get a calming drought, she's been positively distraught ever since she saw that blood bracer."

Harry nodded and moved next to Hermione and as he took Draco from her he said, "Why don't you go see if Draco has any calming droughts, then once you have taken one, maybe you could go through the flow to my office at the ministry, I pulled the forms the ministry had Draco sign, perhaps you can find some loophole since you have so much knowledge of magical law."

Hermione suddenly got a determined look on her face and said, "Yes, I'll take a look at those documents, and I think I'll send a few owls to some colleges of mine, I'm sure a few interested parties would like to publish some of the hidden facts about how once again the ministry is encouraging discrimination in their policies. This whole affair makes me sick, I just wished I had known how drastic Draco's circumstances were."

Harry nodded politely, it was clear that now that Hermione had some determination and some way to deal with the situation that she probably didn't even need that calming drought. Mrs. Weasley was still casting spell after spell at Draco, and occasionally having Harry pour potions down his throat long after Hermione had left. It felt like eternity before some of the bruising finally began to fade and Draco's breathing became a bit less strained.

Harry hadn't realized how absorbed he had been into Draco's facial expression and his breathing and just everything that was Draco, until Mrs. Weasley said softly, "This is all I can do tonight, he's going to need to drink a healing potion in the morning and at least two more after that, but it would be better if you could get him to eat before he takes them that would be for the best. I assume you are planning to stay with him at least until he is back on his feet."

Harry glanced up into Mrs. Weasley's knowing eyes, and asked, "You are sure he'll be okay?"

Mrs. Weasley smiled gently and said, "I would feel better if I could get that medal out of his wrist and ankle, but other than that it's just bruising and he might have a small scar from where his head must have impacted with a chair, but he should be okay. He should even wake up sometime tomorrow, if he doesn't wake before dinner time tomorrow you should fire-call me."

Harry nodded and Mrs. Weasley asked, "I'm afraid he won't be up to brewing the wolfsbane potion for some time, so you might have to look into finding a secure location to change, then again if you change here in Draco's basement I'm sure that would be for the best."

Harry felt his jaw open and close several times before Mrs. Weasley patted his cheek and said, "Your eyes started glowing when you saw the medal in his wrist, and you have been focused entirely on Draco the entire time you have been sitting here, between that and the very obvious mating mark, it's not a big jump Harry dear, especially for anyone who's been around for a time."

Before Harry could think of anything to say Mrs. Weasley had her supplies packed back up into her bag and was walking towards the fireplace. She paused and called over her should, "I hope everything works out for the two of you Harry, you _both_ deserve a life full of happiness after all you have been through."

With that said Mrs. Weasley stepped through to the burrow, and Harry glanced back down at Draco. He sighed and carefully lifted him in his arms, surprised by how light he was, and headed upstairs to the only room that Seamus hadn't seemed to trash. The bedroom was small, with shuttered windows and a single mattress sitting on the floor next to Draco's old school trunk. There were no other furnishings and Harry found himself doing his best to make the mattress more comfortable before he set Draco down on it. Harry knew he should probably go try to clean the place up but he suddenly felt exhausted and something in him was just not comfortable with letting Draco out of his sight, so with a hesitant sigh, Harry removed his shoes and climbed onto the mattress next to Draco. Before he knew it Harry was falling asleep with a relaxed sigh.


	14. Chapter 14

Draco woke slowly as pain and cold slowly began to creep into his consciousness, he wasn't sure which was more uncomfortable but eventually he decided it didn't matter because he couldn't seem to open his eyes. Draco groaned when his head only seemed to pound more the more he tried to open his eyes, and eventually he just gave up. He wasn't sure how long he had been lost in the darkness that gripped him when he heard voices, "Mrs. Weasley, he still hasn't woken up."

He heard a faint sigh and felt a tingle of a diagnostic spell before a second feminine voice said, "Harry dear, he just needs another healing potion, it looks like that blow to his head hasn't completely healed up yet, but he is doing fine otherwise, and he might even wake up any moment."

The familiar male voice spoke again, "Thank you Mrs. Weasley."

Draco tried to think over what was going on, tried to remember what had happened to him to make him hurt so much, but the more he tried to think the more his head hurt. Finally he gave up when he felt someone lifting him into a sitting position and then a foul tasted potion was being forced down his throat, he vaguely recognized the taste and smell as that of one of the many healing potions he brewed on a regular basis, they were stronger than most any other master had tried to brew. Draco felt like retching but he fought the feeling off and tried his best to drink the potion down. He knew it was laced with another potion that numbed the pain, and the pain was too much for him to bear thinking about.

Draco felt his body slowly tingle with the effects of the potion and after a few minutes the pain dimmed and he felt well enough to finally open his eyes. The dim light was almost enough for him to immediately regret that decision but slowly he blinked and adjusted to the light. Draco groaned when his head throbbed and he reached his hand up to a strip of linen wrapped around his head. He started to pull at the wrap when a familiar voice said, "Don't pull at that, you have a bad head injury and that's the only thing keeping you from bleeding all over."

Draco blinked and asked, "Potter?"

Harry quickly sat on the mattress next to him and said, "I'm here. Do you feel okay?"

Draco groaned, and asked, "Why do I feel bloody horrible?"

Harry sighed and asked, "What is the last thing you remember?"

Draco tried to think back, and thought aloud, "Your little tempered flair of magic ruined almost every potion I was brewing, except a few sleeping droughts, I barely got it all cleaned up before… Oh, where is Finnigan?"

Harry sighed, "Ron took him to lock up. Why did you sign those papers for the ministry, even I can tell they were pretty much taking away all of your rights."

Draco sighed and asked, "What else was I suppose to do? I was starving, I hadn't eaten in months and they talked like they weren't going to feed any of us any time soon. I was freezing; I lost all feeling in most of my body from hyperthermia. The guards were horrible, at the time I couldn't focus on anything, all I know was that if I hadn't signed I probably would have died in that prison cell. I didn't realize exactly what I had signed until after I was out and had my first meal."

Harry winced and asked, "Was it really that bad?"

Draco simply raised an eyebrow and tried to sit up, wincing when he got a good look at the bruises littering his body. He groaned as he tried to move his legs and the stung like they had been asleep for some time. He frowned and asked, "Why are you even here? I'm not up to brewing your potion, even if I was it is impossible for me to start from scratch and have it done on time for the full moon."

Harry sighed and asked, "Why can't you just accept anyone's help? I'm here to help you, why do you have to assume I'm here for some other reason?"

Draco rolled his eyes and said, "Everyone always has one reason or another to do anything; if you believe otherwise then you must be delusional or lying to yourself."

Harry gaped for a moment, then said, "I just want to help you! Why is that so hard to believe?"

Draco raised an eyebrow and said, "Probably because you never bothered to help me before your whole being bitten and then bighting me affair."

Harry gaped at Draco for a moment before he noticed Draco's attempt to try and stand up, "Whoa, hold up, you are supposed to stay in bed."

Draco frowned when Harry pulled him back onto the mattress and all but man handled him so that he was lying back down with his head on the pillow. He didn't really struggle, mainly because even sitting up had taken a lot of energy out of him and had made his pain flair up. Draco winced and tried to ignore the pain. Potter frowned and asked, "Are you okay? Where were you even going?"

Draco might have groaned a bit before saying, "I'm hungry, I was kind of planning to get food, especially since you lot force fed me healing potions on a bloody empty stomach, which is not to say I don't sort of appreciate the healing potion but it's terrible on the stomach and can cause all sorts of problems."

Harry sighed in exasperation and asked, "Why didn't you just say you were hungry?"

When Draco didn't respond Harry added, "Look I will go get you food and water if you promise to stay in bed and not move around a lot, because Mrs. Weasley said that you should keep as still as possible."

Draco sighed and said, "Trust me Potter, I am not planning on moving any time soon."

Harry gave him an assessing look then frowned and asked, "Are you going to toss up anything? Do I need to get a bucket?"

Draco groaned and said, "I'm just going to hold very still and hope the room stops spinning."

Harry laughed and said, "Well I'll grab a bucket just in case before I grab you something you might tossup."

Draco wanted to throw something at Harry, but since he didn't have anything in arms reach and he still felt terrible. He heard harry leave and suddenly realized that he was in nothing but his pants, and Harry Potter had been sitting on his bed with him. He tried not to think about a few dreams he had that had been under similar circumstances, but he couldn't help but remember them in sudden vivid detail. Draco bit his lip to fight back a groan as he felt a certain organ beginning to stir. Blasted Potter and his bloody hair that always looked like he had just shagged like his life depended on it. Draco forced himself to take deep breaths and imagine Hagrid and Severus in pink dresses talking dirty. It worked for a moment but then instead of imagining Severus talking dirt he started imagining Potter talking dirty and he let out another groan of frustration.

Draco was just trying to come up with another scenario that would prevent any cross over when Harry himself suddenly asked, "Are you okay?"

Draco blinked and Harry was standing next to his mattress with a tray filled with eggs, bacon, slices of pomegranate, and toast, along with a glass of water and a glass of orange juice. Harry set the tray down on a small dresser table next to the mattress and Draco asked, "Where the hell did all that come from?"

Harry laughed and said, "Apparently Mrs. Weasley was rather affronted earlier by the fact that you are slimmer than me, so she dropped off some supplies, mainly food."

Draco frowned and asked, "Where did that table come from? Wait did Weasley's mother know who I am? Did you bribe her or something?"

Harry just smirked and said, "Yes Mrs. Weasley knows who you are, no I didn't bribe her, and she's proof that people do things just to be nice."

Draco groaned as he tried to sit up and asked, "You didn't answer my first question, and I hesitate to believe your other answers."

Harry helped him sit the rest of the way up and pushed another pillow behind Draco's back so that he could lean back a bit. Draco frowned and settled back into the pillow as Harry grabbed the tray and sat it in Draco's lap. Draco tried to ignore the faint blush he could feel building as he seemed to be overly aware of his partial nudity, there were very few people who had seen him in just his pants and none of them had ever really been people he had considered getting intimate with. Harry suddenly frowned and asked, "Are you warm or something, you look flushed?"

Draco grabbed the fork and stabbed at a bight of egg, and said, "I'm fine Potter. Don't you have places to be? You are still acting head aurora aren't you?"

Harry sighed and said, "I'm having Ron stand in for me for the next few days, at least till this whole situation gets sorted out, because I can't exactly keep my cool around Seamus right now."

Draco noticed Harry clenched his fist a bit on the last bit, and decided to not comment on it and simply took a bight of the egg, and tried not to groan because he hadn't had fresh eggs since before the war. He had been pretty much surviving off of stale bread and nearly expired cut meats for what felt like a lifetime. He tried to act like he wasn't in utter bliss but judging by the smirk on Harry's face he wasn't exactly doing a good job. He finished the eggs and took a bight of the toast which had a bit of strawberry jam. At that point he just gave up trying to hide his reactions and just enjoyed the best meal he had the pleasure of devouring in what felt like eternity. He had never really appreciated food prior to being deprived of it for so long.

Harry was still smirking when Draco finished off the last bight of bacon, and when Draco finally put his fork down Harry said, "I'll be sure to inform Mrs. Weasley that you enjoyed her cooking."

Draco grabbed the napkin off of the tray and dabbed at his face before saying, "Yes, well like I said I was hungry."

Harry's smirk dimmed a bit and he asked, "When was the last time you ate an actual meal?"

Draco shrugged, then winced and said, "I was eating a sandwich before Finnigan stopped by."

Harry raised an eyebrow and asked, "you mean you took two bights out of some meat and bread on that plate in the kitchen? What about before that?"

Draco winced and said, "Look Potter, I would rather do without the interrogation on my eating habits, besides its not that big a deal if I've skipped a couple meals recently. It's not like I'm starving myself to death."

Harry frowned and said, "I can count every single one of your ribs and your spine is starting to show through, it's not healthy and it can cause more long term damage than a healing potion on an empty stomach."

Draco tensed and said, "Look Potter, I've gotten by just fine without you for my entire life."

Harry felt his anger stir and said, "Yes you have been getting by just fine, so fine that you can barely afford the potion ingredients that you use to pay for your food, and the ministry was going to try and take that from you, they were trying to say that you were a convicted felon and shouldn't be supplying potions to innocent people."

Draco felt all color and emotion drain away from him. They had taken everything away from him, his parents, everything he had known. His home his accounts even his family titles. They had left him a shadow of what he once had been but he had still had Severus' notes, he had still had the ability to ease his tension with one potion or another. He had still the familiar feel of a ladle and a stirring stick long after they had taken his wand. It had long seized to be a way to make ends meet and had become his only outlet when his emotions were overwhelming. It was the only thing he still took pride in and they were going to take it from him.

Harry frowned as Draco became paler and paler. He didn't feel his anger ebb though until Draco's eyes became distant and slightly moist. He felt his throat tighten with some unknown emotion when Draco asked, "they won't stop until they have broken me, and then I won't even have the piece of mind that I will be buried with my ancestors."

Harry suddenly couldn't stop himself from pulling Draco into his arms, placing Draco's head on his chest, and when Draco just let him, and stayed a stiff board, Harry whispered into his ears, "I won't let them break you, I won't let this travesty continue. I already have my best people looking in to all the mistreatment that has been going on, we've already got Seamus and two others in holding, waiting for trial. Hermione thinks she might have found a few things that could be potential loop holes with the probation contracts and she thinks that she can declare that your case needs to be looked over again because she said there were a lot of flaws in your trial and no one allowed you representation. I told you before and I'll tell you again, I _will_ fix this."

Draco took a deep breath and somehow managed to pull himself free of the pit of despair that had almost claimed him, then he realized Potter was bloody hugging him and he snapped, "Alright, you don't need to bloody coddle me, I'm a grown man Potter."

Harry just tightened his hold on him and said, "Yes, and you have just been through a horrible experience and now you are trying to hide your emotions like you did in school behind an angry mask. You might have been able to fool me back then but not now."

Draco snapped, "Don't assume you know me all of a sudden, you don't know me, you may know pieces of my personality, pieces of who I am but you don't know me."

Harry smiled as he pulled back a bit, "You know you probably shouldn't challenge a Gryffindor, we take such things very serious and we never back down from a challenge."

Draco spluttered, "That wasn't a bloody challenge Potter, it was just a statement."

Harry's smile widened, "I'm pretty sure it was a challenge, because you always challenge me, even when you don't mean to. So I will get to know the real Draco Malfoy, your right, I've only gotten to see pieces and flashes of him, but I will gladly spend the rest of my life trying to figure him out."

Draco frowned and said, "How long was I actually asleep for, because the only logical explanation for why anyone would make such a statement to me, especially a male, is the fact that it's close to the full moon and their other half is under the impression I'm there mate."

Harry smirked and reached out to run his finger around the edge of the still very visible mark on Draco's neck, it had almost healed over, but it was definitely scarring. Harry smirked when Draco's breathing became a bit more labored with the touch and he said, "You know, if you truly believed that I was by no means compatible with you, if you truly believed you were not my mate, this would have disappeared after the first day, but a part of you, a large part if the books I've read are correct, truly wants to wear my mark, wants to be my mate. If the mark weren't proof enough, your dreams give you away as well."

Draco licked his lips and said, "You can't know my dreams Potter."

Harry leaned closer to Draco and brought his mouth to the mark he had made, gently pressing his lips to it before whispering, "I may not know you dreams, but you called out my name, my first name, last night, and your voice and your scent and every aspect of you was laced with lust and passion."

Draco closed his eyes and tried to think past his growing lust, and said, "Lust does not beget a relationship."

Harry smiled like he had just caught the snitch and said, "Yes, but it's a good start, also you should probably know that I was lying a moment ago, I didn't hear you call my name in your sleep, but it's good to know you have been dreaming of me recent enough for you to believe my bluff."

Draco felt his face flush and his jaw drop in outrage. He wasn't sure how to respond and was considering throwing a pillow at Harry when a chime sounded throughout the house to signal that someone was fire-calling.


	15. Chapter 15

Draco was still trying to gather his wits when Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley came up the stairs into what he had liked to refer to as his loft, it sounded better than any of the other terms he had tried to think of that implied both bedroom and tiny attic, where you had to duck a bit half the time or risk hitting your head on the support beams that held up the roof. Ron was frowning as he glanced about and Hermione had a pinched, worried expression.

Hermione took one look at Draco and snapped, "I have half a mind to hit you, that's how angry I am with you. We spent an entire lunch break discussing how to find loop holes in certain laws and how much I despised all the laws the ministry had been making to keep magical creatures from having freedom, and not once did you think to even hint at the fact that they were also taking away your basic human rights long after your sentence was up!"

Draco winced and said, "I didn't want you to think I had only gotten close to you to utilize your persuasion and intelligence when it comes to ministry laws."

Hermione seemed to shock to even process what Draco just said to her, but in her shock Ron seemed to want to get in his own piece, "Mate, that's what friends are for, if you can't bloody come to us when something like this is happening then why on earth are we even spending time together."

Draco looked beyond startled as he asked, "Wait we're friends?"

Hermione suddenly couldn't seem to take the strain and burst into tears, "Of course we are friends you bloody fool! We have lunch every week, I just thought these last few weeks your were overwhelmed with potions, I thought you were finally getting into the swing of things and that things were looking up, and now come to find out it's been the opposite this whole time! How can you think we are anything but friends?!"

Draco held his hands up in a placating gesture and said, "Look, I'm sorry, we just don't really do the whole friendship thing in Slytherin, we do alliances and agreements and occasionally partnerships, but never friends."

Hermione rubbed at her eyes, suddenly more perplexed then upset as Ron asked, "Are you serious? That sounds horrible."

Draco frowned and said, "It's logical though, everyone wants to get ahead and no one wants to get hurt. So if you always expect that others will only assist you for as long as it benefits them then you never have to worry about someone stabbing you in the back, and if you expect everyone will eventually turn on you if they could gain more by doing so, then you'll never get the proverbial curse to the back."

Hermione blinked and said, "That sounds…"

Ron burst out, "Horrible, that's bloody horrible is what that is! You can't just assume everyone is going to try and hurt you if it benefits them."

Draco sighed and said, "You know, I'd really rather not argue over the founding principle of Slytherin logic right now, my head hurts and I rather fancy that common curtsy dictates that in present circumstances you drop the subject and either leave so I can get some rest, or inform me why you had to come all the way upstairs just to pester me when I'm not feeling well to begin with."

Ron snorted and said, "And you wonder why I didn't like you at Hogwarts, your bloody difficult to be around even when your trying not to be."

Draco crossed his arms with a wince and said, "Yes well I could say the same about you and your doppelganger brothers."

Hermione rolled her eyes and asked, "Can you two ever just play nice? Now Draco do you want to hear what I came to say or do you and Ron want to pick at each other until one of you storms out?"

Draco sighed and said, "Alright, what did you come here to say?"

Hermione smiled and said, "Well after I got pretty much every major magical newspaper, not just in England but in nearly every country that has an established magical community, to print exposés on your situation and everything, the number of letters, mainly howlers, that have been pouring into the ministry have been astronomically high. It got so bad that Minister Shacklebot had to fumigate his office. I can't believe he let all of this happen, although there is some speculation that he has been taking various recreational potions since the war to ease some post traumatic stress, it's still unethical and unacceptable, and many other countries have implied that if he isn't sacked and if policies aren't changed that they will be forced to take action against the British Ministry of magic, France in particular has rallied quite a few countries to arms."

Draco bit at his nail and said, "Well of course France would be upset if it became public knowledge what the ministry did, between all the work my mother does for the ministry over there and the fact that the Malfoy line is still considered Royalty over there they are probably taking it as a personal injustice."

Hermione smiled and said, "That explains a bit of the choice words their letters had."

Ron burst out, "Wait. What do you mean your Royalty?"

Draco snorted and said, "My father's grandfather's older brother was the true king of France for nearly a century, and considering that the current King is technically my cousin and considering that he had no legitimate heirs, if he passes away before he can beget a heir then I'm next in line to inherit the throne, although it is more a formal title these days, with the one wearing the crown only having a third of the government power currently."

Hermione nodded and said, "That should help, but really at this point it's only a matter of time before the minister is forced to retire and now it looks like the United Nations of Magic is thinking about stepping in, since they are calling this a crime against humanity. They are planning to send representatives to get statements from all of the victims of these hate crimes, and they want to interview you first since you've made such an impact already. If you are up to it, they gave me an address to fire-call and they said they could have a crew to interview here within an hour, whenever you are ready. They will go through the questions with you briefly before the actual interview so if anything is too personal or makes you uncomfortable they will take it out of the interview. I really think that if you could do this interview it would really get the ball rolling and get the UNM on our side."

Draco felt himself pale and he glanced over at his trunk where he kept the remains of his wardrobe, "I'm not sure I'm ready for an interview."

Hermione bit her lip and said, "You don't have to Draco, it would just make everything a bit easier."

Draco closed his eyes and said, "Yes, I know that, and if this will prevent future incidents like yesterday then it might be worth the un-pleasantries."

Hermione smiled and said, "Thank you Draco, this will be worth it all in the long run. I'll run down and place that fire call, Harry do you and Ron think you can get him into something decent and hopefully cover that bloody mark on his neck, I think you should probably leave the bruises and the bandage alone, they will add a dramatic flair, put home the point that these are brutal times."

Draco raised and eyebrow and when he was certain Hermione was out of ear shot he said, "I think she could give my mother a run for her money, and frankly that is terrifying, you Gryffindor lot really are brave."

Ron snorted and said, "It's not brave if you do everything you can to keep her on your side mate, now lets see what we have to work with… wow I really figured you for the vein type, you almost have less in here than I do."

Draco tensed but kept silent as Ron went through his wardrobe and after a few minutes he pulled out one of the few outfits Draco had refrained from wearing in the hopes of keeping it pristine. Harry and Ron without even a by your leave started twisting and pulling Draco until he was panting and cursing under his breath, but never the less fully dressed. When Hermione knocked on the door Ron was in the midst of saying, "Well at least you weight barely a few stones or else this would have been even worse."

Hermione entered the room when Harry opened the door and said, "I fire-called Mrs. Weasley as well, she'll be over in a few minutes. I thought it would be good if the crew could interview Mrs. Weasley and get her opinion on how extensive the damage was to Draco's person."

Draco fidgeted and tried to get comfortable once more in what had once been his day to day clothes, always pressed and starched and stiff like they had just been bought. All at once it seemed like an eternity and a single second before first Mrs. Weasley arrived, dressed in her Sunday best, and then not long after a crew of three men holding various cameras and a woman who looked like she could either be American or perhaps French with her stylish business suit in a bright pink that accentuated the color of her skin and her blonde hair was beyond pristine with perfect curls pulled back out of her face, she wore light make-up and just a slight gloss on her lips. Draco could see that every aspect of her appearance had been calculated to put at ease certain members of her audience and anyone she was speaking to. She smiled at Hermione as she lead the way up into the attic and was careful not to show any emotions as she was introduced to everyone as simply Emily.

It seemed like in a matter of seconds the small crew had set up dozens of lights and positioned Harry, Ron and Hermione so that they were out of the main view of the camera but close enough that they could turn to them if they needed another opinion on the matter at hand. Emily sat down next to Draco and said, "I know we said that we would wait to film until after we had gone over the questions, but I'm sure you can agree that this will go best if it doesn't seemed rehearsed, but the decision is up to you."

Hermione looked like she was about to protest but Draco said, "Alright, but we get to view the interview once before you leave and we have the right to ask you to cut any unnecessary bits."

Emily nodded with a pleased smile and then the camera's and the lights lit up and Emily said to the camera, "I'm Emily David here with Mr. Draco Malfoy in the hopes of getting inside news on what many leading newspapers are calling the crimes against humanity. Now Mr. Malfoy, do you mind if I call you Draco?"

Draco smiled ever so faintly, although it was more an unconscious mimic of the woman's own bright smile and it was more a twitch of his lips than an actual smile, before saying, "Draco is fine, my father went by Mr. Malfoy."

Emily smiled and said, "Alright Draco, I know everyone is dying to hear the current news, but I think it's best we go back to the beginning, or at least go back to what lead up to you being where you are now. I'm guessing this all started with the war against one of what is believed to be the greatest dark lords in world history. How did you come to be involved in the war?"

Draco took a deep breath and said, "Well there were actually two wars, the first of which I was not even alive for. To explain how I came to be a part of the second war I need to first explain my father's role in the first, or at least how he came to be a part of the war. I am not trying to belittle my father's crimes, of which there was numerous, I am simply trying to explain the situation."

Emily nodded and said, "Of course, so how did your father come to be, as many have testified, the left hand of the dark lord?"

Draco sighed said, "My father during that time had just married my mother and he imagined a world where his children could potentially be better off than he was as a child. Needless to say, he fell into the Dark Lord's, or as he was known then, Tom Riddle's inner circle. When he first started attending meetings with Tom Riddle, he had no idea how rapidly what had started as a group who wanted to simply be able to change current laws so that pureblooded children could receive education and do magic earlier would turn into a war against those who were not pure of blood. I'm not trying to say that my father was not prejudice, he did believe that pureblooded children where better then muggle born, if for no other reason than that they could inherit family magic. Still by the time my father began to question the methods Tom Riddle suggested, the man had already claimed enough power to be a threat to what he hoped was his blossoming family. It was when my father found out my mother was pregnant with my older sister that he accepted the first dark mark in recorded histroy, and promised utter servitude to Tom Riddle in exchange that my mother be left out of the affairs of war."

Emily frowned and said, "Pardon me dear, I hate to interrupt, but I was not aware that you had an older sister. Did she also follow in your father's footsteps?"

Draco shook his head and said, "Unfortunately my older sister and my older brother were both miscarried in the start of the final trimester, and after me my mother had three more children that did not make it past infancy. Instead of taking this misfortune as a sign that perhaps pureblood families where a time of the past, my father took it as a sign of just how much more precious pureblooded children were, by the time my mother had miscarried my brother, the first war had been ended thanks to the boy who lived."

Emily frowned and said, "But if your mother had just miscarried your brother then that would mean you were not even conceived when Harry Potter was a year old, which would make you at least a year younger than Harry Potter, but isn't it true that you were in the same school year?"

Draco nodded and said, "Yes, my birthday fell just within the old pagan calendar's version of current calendar's leap year, and through a technicality, I was able to attend Hogwarts a year before I would have normally, but that does not change the fact that by all other legal standards I was a year younger than the rest of my classmates, a fact my father encouraged me to keep hidden so that I could get a leg up on those actually my age."

Emily nodded and said, "Alright, so then back to the main question, how did you become a part of the second war?"

Draco took a deep breath and let it out before saying, "I believe another reason my father kept my age a secret was that he lived in constant fear that the Dark Lord had not truly been vanquished. This is a bit of speculation, as this was something my father never directly talked about, to me or in his journals, but it would explain a few things. Anyway, the Dark Lord did return, and not long after he did, my father was incarcerated and the Dark Lord took up residence in my home. When I returned home from Hogwarts he was already there. Because my father had sworn oaths to him, the Malfoy family magic did not perceive him as a threat and he was able to break through the main gates without much difficulty and there was nothing my mother and I could have done to prevent him from entering the grounds or to get him to leave once he had gotten comfortable."

Draco took another deep breath to steady himself for what was to come and continued, "At the time, the Dark Lord was furious at my father, for many reasons, and he knew that the best way to get back at him would be to make me a death eater, and he could because when they had sworn their oaths, my father one of servitude, the dark lord had only swore not to claim any existing family, and since I had not been conceived then I was fair game as it were. Of course at that time I did not know that the Dark Lord had already sworn never to mark my mother, I only knew that the Dark Lord could track every move a follower made by the mark, and that he could cause a follower agony and even death through the mark. My mother, I know, portrays herself as strong and independent for the public eye, but in private she was an emotional wreck, she was terrified of the dark lord, of what had become of her husband, and she was terrified of what would become of her and I. I was convinced if I could just take the mark, I could do something to please the dark lord for at least long enough for my mother to escape, but I'm afraid I was the absolute worst death eater or perhaps the best, in the sense that I never actually committed one of the unforgivable curses. I never had the conviction to carry them out, and I suffered greatly for it, even more so when my father escaped from Azkaban as the dark lord thought it was best to, as the muggles sometimes say, kill two birds with one stone."

Emily let out a breath and said, "Of course, what better form of torture than to make someone watch their child be harmed, and have them be helpless to stop it."

Draco looked down at his hands and said, "There is only one worst, and the dark lord utilized it. My father may have been a criminal, he may have been a bad person to many people, but he was a good husband to my mother and an even better father. I can honestly say that before the war he never once struck me, but then the dark lord told him that if my father could not punish me the way the dark lord saw fit, then I was useless as a death eater and therefore expendable. I think that might have broken my father if we all had not had hope that Harry Potter would once more save us, of course my father could not help Potter in any way or my mother would also come to harm, but my mother and myself took no such oaths, so we did what little we could to help. From claiming not to recognize Potter when he was captured, to making sure he could easily steal our wands, to convincing a fellow death eater to start a cursed fire to destroy what my Godfather had told me was the dark lords key to immortality. Of course we still had to keep up appearances, and I did break some laws, still it was all under duress and for nearly the entire second war I was under age. When the war was finally over, my father and I turned ourselves in and my mother went to France to stay with family there until things cleared up. We didn't think anything of it then, because we knew she hadn't actually broken any laws during the war. The ministry of course painted a different picture, they told the papers and everyone that would listen that my mother was a known death eater, that she had harbored the dark lord, the list went on and on with no evidence to speak of but if my mother had not been in France it is needless to say that she would have faced the dementors kiss as my father did."

Draco paused and Emily asked, "And what happened to you after you turned yourself in?"

Draco took a deep breath and said, "I was taken directly to Azkaban, where I waited for three weeks before I was dragged before the Wizingot in chains."

Emily frowned and said, "I thought the Wizingot was only allowed to use magical chains on individuals who tried to run from the law and were then captured by auoras."

Draco nodded and said, "yes, that is a law, there is also a law that stated that the accused has the right to a defense, whether in the form of their own statement or in the form of an attorney familiar with magical law. I was granted neither as before I could speak a silencing spell was cast upon me by one Seamus Finnigan, and the Wizingot never asked me questions, especially not if I wished to have an attorney. I was convicted of a numerous list of crime, of which only a small portion were truly crimes I had committed and none of which I committed after I came of age, then I was sentenced with two years in Azkaban. I had been there for nearly six months of my sentence when the cells became to overpopulated for the guards to handle any more, I was literally sharing a single cell with four violent offends, none of which were kind, all of which were stronger than me, and since the guards only gave us a single meal a day, I actually went without food or water for quite some time before the ministry thought up the idea of putting low ranking offenders on probation. They drew up paperwork and then starting with myself and a few others, they brought us to the community chambers and told us we could serve extended sentences in Azkaban or we could join their new program and go home, sleep in our own beds. I don't even think I skimmed over the fine print before I signed my name in blood. I've regretted that moment ever since, but I know I would have died if I hadn't signed."

Draco took another deep breath, but realized it was useless, there was no way he could stay calm and in control of his emotions when he was getting to the worst parts. He hoped for a moment that the reporter would move on to Mrs. Weasley and stop questioning him, but he had no such luck, "And what happened after your signed the papers?"

Draco rolled his sleeve up enough to reveal the medal bracer that disappeared halfway through his arm, and said, "They took me straight from Azkaban to an underground facility where they had a med-wizard reluctantly use a muggle device to drill a hole through my wrist and ankle, so that they could place this magical tracking device permanently on me. It took them nearly eight hours to get it in completely, and by the time they were done I had lost consciousness. I woke up in a back ally off of Diagon alley and the pain was still nearly enough to knock me out once more. I managed to make it to Gringots before it started snowing, but by then I was nearly hypothermic. One of the lead Goblins has been an old family friend for centuries since my family had made it a point to return any goblin artifacts if found. He helped me get back on my feet, and informed me that although they had managed to keep the ministry from taking the entirety of one of my smaller personal vaults, they had seized everything else long before my trial. He helped me find this place at a decidedly cheap rate, and helped me get my potions license so that I could have some money for food and things other than rent. After that, for a little while it wasn't to bad, I had food, water, shelter, and I wasn't freezing or being beaten by other criminals, I was even able to correspond with mother. Then the ministry began sending me letters, informing me of new regulations that had been passed for probation offenders. At first they simply screened my mail, but they quickly stopped me from getting any letters from my mother. Then they started sending me letter about what areas I was not allowed to be near, and that I was not allowed to be in the same room with another Slytherin. Then they finally sent me a letter that I was not to leave my own home. Shortly after that I got a letter saying that probation offenders where no longer allowed certain spells, then shortly after that they sent me a notice informing me that a official would be stopping by to take my wand, as we were no longer allowed a wand or any other object that could be utilized as a wand. The ministry sent Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, I'm pretty sure if it where not for Dean, Seamus would have beaten me to death that day, but instead I just had some nasty bruises that took a few potions to heal. Then a few days ago I received a letter that probation offenders would have their homes randomly but regularly searched by a ministry official, and then Seamus Finnigan was once more sent to my home, and I am certain if it were not for Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and his mother Mrs. Weasley, I would have died from the beating Seamus inflicted, even now I am still recovering."

Emily sighed and said, "These are serious accusations, but do you have any proof besides the magical devices in your arm and leg, and your very obvious bruising?"

Draco nodded and said, "I have every letter the ministry has sent me since I came to reside here, I also have letters from the goblins at Gringots, they are a bit colorful, apparently they took great offense that the ministry broke their treaty to take my funds without notifying me. I can allow you to look at a few of my memories or perhaps even question me under a truth potion."

Emily nodded and said, "I don't think that will be necessary today Draco, but it is clear that you are rather taxed and it appears Mrs. Weasley, whom has just recently been admitted as a registered med-witch, believes we are over taxing you when you are still recovering, so we will leave off on this note and hopefully tomorrow you all will be prepared for an extended interview." Emily turned her gaze to one of the camera's and said, "Ladies and gentleman this is the end of our first installment of our investigations into the British ministries crimes against humanity. I'm Emily David."

The lights went out and Draco realized he was exhausted in so many forms of the word. Emily patted his shoulder gently and said, "If you don't mind I would like to make copies of all those letters, I'm sure everyone will want to discuss the matter and it will help you if you actually have evidence out there in the public, I'll be sure a few newspapers print some of the worst of it. Did the letter actually say you could not be in a room with another Slytherin, because that would do well to reinforced that this is another kind of hate crime?"

Draco sighed and told her to check the false bottom on his trunk. With the copies of the letters in their hand the group left and before long Mrs. Weasley had gotten everyone but Harry to leave. Harry helped him out of his stiff clothes, although he didn't bother to help him into a pair of pajamas, the bloody hot ponce. Draco barely registered the bitter taste of another healing potion before he fell asleep half sitting up.


	16. Chapter 16

_AN: So I love reviews and all, and I am glad people are reading my stories, but if you start reading my story, and just absolutely hate it, stop reading. This is fan fiction, it's not some fancy publishing company, I don't have an editor to correct every little mistake, but I am trying my best to catch them all. If you don't appreciate my writing, I understand, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but could you at least have the common decency to keep rude comments to yourself. To everyone who left nice reviews, thank you so much, you are the main reason I keep doing my best to update. _

Draco felt his chest tighten, like it often had during the war, and he felt as if even though he was gasping in a lung full of air, like none of it was reaching his body. He couldn't breathe and his heart felt like it was racing right out of his chest, and it wasn't until after the panic began to subside that he realized that tears where running down his face and someone was rubbing at his back. Draco tried to pull himself away, tried to pull himself together, but it was as if a flood gate had been open. He somehow ended up with his arms wrapped around his legs, all pulled tight to his chest as he tried to hide his face and the tear tracks from what dim light filled the room. Not that it did any good, because even if Potter didn't feel the hitches in his breathing, he still probably smelt the salt of his tears with that improving nose of his.

After a while, when Draco's breathing was back to normal, did Harry ask, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Draco rubbed his tears away and said, "There isn't anything to talk about."

Harry moved around a bit until he was sitting in front of Draco on the bed and then gently pulled his head up until finally Draco met his gaze, "If anyone could understand the intensity of dreams it would be me."

Draco pulled his head away and said, "If it was just a dream it wouldn't bother me, it's the memories, even when they are distorted in a dream, they make me almost wish I could obliviate myself, and don't assume you can just understand everyone's dreams just because you have had a few bad ones yourself. I haven't heard _you_ have a nightmare the last couple days."

Harry sighed and said, "Well I haven't exactly been sleeping fitfully the last few days, in fact I have barely slept at all, I've just been trying to think of some way to make all of this up to you. I mean if I had just done my job and made sure you were only convicted of crimes you had committed, if I had made sure the court had all of the facts right, if I had just checked in… I just can't believe all of this has been going on and I didn't have the slightest idea, I didn't even know you were under age when you took the mark. It makes me wonder if Dumbledore had known, if that's why he was so convinced that you were savable, because technically you were still a child. I wonder if he was still alive now, if everything would have been better."

Draco sighed and asked, "Do you want my honest opinion or are you just contemplating aloud to yourself?"

Harry just gave him a nod so he said, "Frankly I think it might have been worst if Dumbledore had survived, he was good at hiding it, but he often, although perhaps inadvertently, made comments or gestures that indicated he agreed with the popular opinion of his age."

Harry frowned and asked, "What popular opinion?"

Draco shrugged and said, "That all dark wizards come from my house. He never said it outright, I'll give him that, but when others said it within his hearing range he never commented on it, but heaven forbid a Slytherin speak up about how every Gryffindor was a brave bully, or how every Hufflepuff was a sniffling whiner, or how every Ravenclaw was a snobby book worm. All common sayings amongst the houses but Dumbledore only ever chastised Slytherin when they spoke up about such prejudice as he would put it. He was also the same way with purebloods, if a pureblood made a comment about another's status as half-blood or muggle born, then he would write home to their parents and request points taken from their house, but if a muggle born student made implications that all purebloods were inbred imbeciles, which many Slytherin were called, they were simply asked not to repeat the gesture with no punishment what-so-ever."

Draco took a deep breath and added, "I know you Gryffindors fancied Dumbledore the greatest wizard of our age, and also the wisest, but I cannot see wisdom in a man who would sacrifice one portion of his students if it meant protecting the others, especially those from his own house. Both figuratively and literally, I had heard stories about shady dealing before, about how Severus was nearly killed by a werewolf but Dumbledore made him swear to stay silent about it or he would kick him out of school, and Dumbledore knew how terrible Severus' father was, Severus had told him bits himself but Dumbledore never did anything. I thought perhaps it was just rumor because Severus never told me any of those stories aloud, but then there was that incident in 6th year, and Severus went to the headmaster, he was so furious, he was afraid that even though he had done the counter spell that he had not brought me back in time, he wasn't sure I would actually live, and Dumbledore simply said if I told people about it then both of us would be expelled and I would have to return to my home where the Dark Lord was residing."

Draco clenched his fists and continued, "Did you know that before Severus took over the school that there had only been two other Slytherin Headmasters and they rarely lasted long, because everyone always preferred a Gryffindor headmaster; also, before Severus became a professor and showed a bias towards his own house, Slytherin was always the bottom house for nearly everything. So considering all that, and the fact that this has been going on back and forth for at least a century it's actually surprising that things haven't turn out worst. I mean for every pureblood idealist there has always been two who believed Slytherin were the worst house, and that all in Slytherin were rotten. Potter, I will only say this once, perhaps it was best things turn out as they had, I mean this is all horrible and terrible and I wish none of it had happened, and if I could go back in time and choose not to go through it all I would, but at the same time, I worry if it hadn't happened now, that perhaps it would have happened to the next generation, what if I ever had children and this happened to them. There is no guarantying that there would be such a public outcry for the supposed injustices if this happened thirty or even fifty years from now. At least now things look like they might change, like such biases will be outlawed all together."

Harry stared at Draco in shock for several long moments before saying, "I don't think I would have ever thought to think about it like that."

Draco shrugged and asked, "How long are you planning to stay here? I mean have you found somewhere to stay for the moon?"

Harry looked down at his hands and said, "Actually, it was suggested to me by both Hermione and Mrs. Weasley that perhaps the most secure place to stay would be here, locked in your basement, so that I'm still close enough to you that I will know you are safe, but also locked up in case I lose my control closer to the moon. I just am worried the wolf might want to change you, make you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you."

Draco stretched his legs out and asked quietly, "Do you want to change me?"

Harry shook his head and said, "No, I would never want to inflict any more pain on you, I never want to taint you with my affliction, I saw what it did to Remus."

Draco snorted and said, "Then you won't try to turn me on the new moon."

Harry frowned and said, "You can't know that."

Draco sighed and said, "Look Potter, I know you think you know a lot about werewolves because you knew Remus, but I have known many wolves in my time and I have read as much research as I can, and all of it shows that Dominant and Submissive wolves do have a bit of control over their wolf, at least to the extent that if they, in one form, believe someone to be their mate and do not want to harm them, then in the other form, they will feel the same to a similar extent, that isn't to say that you won't feel compelled to hurt other people, but mates and pack are usually safe around one of these wolves. Also those two types of wolves tend to have easier transitions and tend to take better to wolfsbane, it doesn't sicken them like it does an Omega. Professor Lupin in that regard was an anomaly because he was Omega, and Omega's don't function well without a pack structure in both sides of their life. Besides, even if that all were not the case, I can't be turned, so you have nothing to worry about."

Harry tried to process that as best as possible and as quickly as possible but finally he just asked, "What do you mean you can't be turned, everyone can be turned unless they… Are you an animagus?"

Draco sighed and said, "Not on paper, or as far as the ministry knows."

Harry felt a smile pulling at his lips, "What do you turn into? Can I see for myself?"

Draco shook his head and said, "I've only taken that form once, the first time, and I hated it, so I've never turned again, but it doesn't matter, once someone has claimed their wild form the curse of the moon cannot set in. Otherwise your mark alone would have probably made me a bit wolfish."

Harry frowned and asked, "How can you hate something so amazing, something that is a part of who you are? I heard Professor McGonagall say that you animagus form was basically your soul taking on its closest likeness."

Draco sighed and said, "You know, I'm rather famished, I think I'll try and head downstairs and make some breakfast."

Harry felt a trickle of anger and he said, "You can just change the subject."

Draco's gaze suddenly turned cold as he glared at Harry with more anger in his face then the Gryffindor had ever seen, and said, "If you want to continue attempting to question me about my animagus form, like I am some criminal you are about to apprehend, then you are free to either leave or arrest me like a criminal, either way I will not say under any circumstances, now I'm hungry so I'm going to go eat, or do you want your supposed mate becoming ill because he hasn't had anything to eat in nearly 24 hours?"

Harry stared at Draco in shock as he turned his back on Harry and somehow managed to stand up, he swayed slightly and one of his legs looked like it might give out at any second. Harry still felt a small spark of anger, he just couldn't understand why Draco was making a big deal out of this, still he pushed it to the back of his mind and quickly moved to his mate's side and without further ado, picked him up and placed him back in bed. When Draco glared at him furiously Harry sighed and said, "I'll go make you breakfast, Mrs. Weasley says you should stay in bed for at least another day or two, and even then you are suppose to keep from exhausting yourself for at least another week after that."

Some of the anger left Draco's expression but his eyes were still a bit cold, so Harry quickly left, he didn't want to drop the subject, he wanted to know this secret of Draco's but if asking him about it caused him to close off this much, to get this angry, perhaps it just wasn't worth it.


	17. Chapter 17: AN ?

_Author's note: Sorry this isn't a chapter, don't hate me! Anyway I somehow did not have chapter 6 and 7 on my own personal copy of this story, and someone pointed out one of the inconsistencies. I was able to sort of go back and fix them at least enough that I feel I continue where I left off on. To the readers, I would just like to apologies either way, if I was reading I would be a bit frustrated :/ _


	18. Chapter 18

_AN: So if you readers didn't get the update, I sort of jacked the story up a bit with some inconsistencies that a fan kindly pointed out, I for some reason did not have a few chapters on my own personal copy of this story so when I began writing this again after a while, I just took off from where I had not even remembering I had skipped stuff. Anyway I was able to go back and kind of fix it all, (Just a few little adjustments, if you want to go back and read the changes feel free) but I just wanted to apologize for my error, if I was a reader I would be a bit frustrated, but if you all can be patient with me I think I can keep at this story until it's finished : ) _

Harry had just brought a tray of breakfast up for Draco, when the floo sounded that someone was coming through. Draco paused with his fork still on the plate and waited expectantly. He was not disappointed as soon Granger was popping in with a nervous grin at Harry she asked, "Harry do you think you could go downstairs for a bit, I need to talk to Draco in private."

Harry frowned but before he could decided how to respond Draco said, "Granger you should know he would hear anything you say from downstairs, so you might as well just talk."

Granger sighed and said, "Alright I was hoping to at least give you the idea of privacy, but frankly this is going to concern Harry as well. Remember not too long before you were attacked by Seamus, how a group of men kidnapped Pansy and managed to get her to reveal your location?"

Harry had almost forgotten about that, and he wasn't sure where this was coming from but Draco seemed to because he asked, "Let me guess, the ministry saw that the papers were trying to paint me as a victim so they decided to pull those files to show that I was not an innocent, are there photos?"

Hermione shook her head and said, "Just descriptions, but I was able to get a hold of the file before the minster got it, and now this might actually play into our hands."

Draco frowned, now seeming almost as confused as Harry who asked, "What do you mean, how will three dead bodies in Draco's home play into our hands?"

Hermione smirked and said, "Besides the fact that those men attacked Pansy and Draco because they knew that neither were allowed their wands and they thought they wouldn't be able to defend themselves, is the fact that I dug a bit deeper and was able to locate some information on the case, it turns out that those men were actually in the Ministers pocket, there were transfers from the ministers bank records to all three of their accounts right before they attacked pansy and again before they attacked Draco. I was able to send the copies of all that to the reporter Draco spoke with the other day before the Minister could send the accounts of the dead bodies to the daily prophet."

Draco took a deep breath and asked, "What exactly where in those accounts?"

Hermione pulled out a copy of a file from her robe pocket and said, "After it said that you showed clear signs of self defense… It goes on to explain from two witnesses of the body, how you slashed each of them with a knife in self defense, accept there is no record of a knife… Harry, this says you and Ron gave the eyewitness accounts, I've never known you to inspect a crime scene and not get the weapon, whether it is a wand or a knife, from the perpetrator, if the Minister sends this out people might ask questions. Especially since the news feed said that you were helping Draco with this case against the ministry. Also, it looks like they haven't taken this to trial yet, this could be bad, especially since we didn't bring this up when we were talking to that reporter, what if people think we are just trying to cover up the truth. I'm not sure how we can work this all out. Draco do you still have the knife?"

Draco stared at his hands, as he said, "I didn't use a knife."

Hermione frowned and looked down at her copy of the events then said, "But it says the men had slashes on their bodies, three fatal wounds that looked to be done by a knife, you weren't using your wand because the ministry had already banned your from using it by then so how else could you have done this without a knife?"

Draco clenched and unclenched his shaking hands and Harry suddenly realized why Draco was so upset again, and he said, "You turned into your animagus form, didn't you? I thought you said you only turned into it that one time!"

Draco flinched and said, "I only meant to that one time, I only wanted to that first time, since then... I've changed twice under dire circumstances. If the ministry finds out they could send me back to Azkaban, I never registered, not even when I finally came of age."

Hermione frowned and said, "Alright, I think I might have a plan, although I wish you would have told me this earlier, anyway we might be able to use this to our advantage. You obviously have been an animagus since before you were incarcerated, corrected?"

Draco nodded and Hermione began to passé back and forth as she said, "So you could have turned into your other form at any point and probably could have escaped from Azkaban, which goes to show that you are an upstanding citizen especially since anyone else would have escaped as soon as they suspected they might die in there without food or water."

Draco shock his head and said, "My animagus form is to big to fit between the bars and besides when they first threw my cell mates in with me, then never opened the cell door, I couldn't have escaped even if I wanted to."

Hermione frowned but then added, "Still you didn't try and escape or harm your cell mates when the stole your food, and considering how you put down three full grown, hearty and healthy wizards in your home after they had beat you, well we can spin it to where it seems like that. Now I'm just curious, you said you have turned into your animagus form twice since the initial transition, when was the other time?"

Draco glared at his hand sand said, "It was during the war, before I was of age, it shouldn't matter."

Hermione frowned and said, "But all of this matters Draco, you have to understand we are trying to get justice for you and all of the Slytherin, if the minister makes you look like a law breaking liar then this will all go up in smoke and nothing will change."

Draco pulled his legs up and hid his head in them, wrapping his arms around himself like that could protect him, "When I failed to kill Dumbledore the Dark Lord was not pleased, he was going to kill me, but then Theodore Nott's father, Nott Senior, convinced him that it would be a waste to just end me, why do that when he could send a message to all the other death eaters of what became of failures. He and a few others beat me for days, but I took it, I bore through it, even when they used curses that even my father would shy away from. Eventually they got bored with me, and just left me in the dungeons, they said if I was still alive the next morning perhaps my Godfather would give me a healing potion. I thought I was going to die, and I thought that was the worst possible thing that could happen, but then Theodore came down to the Dungeons to find me. He spent a bit of time pretty much just rubbing in how far I had fallen in my face, but when that didn't elicit a response from me he decided to show me how far I had fallen. It wasn't till after that, when he told me if I wanted him to stop I had to do whatever he asked of me, that I realized I could turn into my animagus form. After that my form just became a reminder of how far I had fallen, and how I would die before I fell that far again, to become someone's toy, their play thing, a doll to break and mend."

Hermione and Harry both looked a bit horrified, but eventually Hermione asked, "Why didn't they ever try you for that?"

Draco laughed and said, "That's the only thing they didn't convict me off, they somehow got a hold of Pansy's memories of it, she thought like Potter and Weasley did, that I had somehow gotten a wand or something, but she also saw what Nott did to me, he tore me open, if her and Severus hadn't found me when they did, just after I had turned back, I would have died, as it was it was nearly two weeks before I could walk around or sit properly."

Hermione swallowed and said, "I need to go see Pansy, see if I can get her memory and send everything we had on this to the reporter, she will spin it off well for us if we keep giving her the inside scoop."

Hermione turned as if to leave then paused and said, "I'm sorry you had to go through that Draco, it's not right, and if I can help it, nothing like that will ever happen again."

Hermione left then and Draco focused his hearing on Harry, who hadn't moved from where he had been standing and when Draco glanced over he was just staring at Draco with an odd expression. After another long silence Draco asked, "What Potter?"

Harry took a deep breath and said, "I always thought, back in school that you were weak, that if you lived in my shoes for even a day you would break under the pressure, but now I realize… you have to be one of the strongest people I know.'

Draco fought off a blush and said, "Your just trying to smooth talk me because you think I'm your mate."

Harry smiled softly although his eyes still seamed sad and said, "Even if you never slept with me I think I'd be okay just being around you. You make me feel more driven to be a better person. Before I was changed, I just plugged and chugged. I did my job because it was my job, did my best to catch all the death eaters, but I never thought to go above or beyond that, I realize now I had lost my anchor. Before with the war, I did everything I did because I had something to protect, but since then, everyone around me seems as though they can protect themselves just fine and I didn't know how to cope with not being everyone's savior. Then I was bit, and you were so much like your old self but so different all at once, you made me want to be stronger, not because you weren't strong yourself, but because I could see that strength even if I never acknowledged it."

Draco blushed as he stared Harry in the eyes, he just seemed so sincere. After a moment he sighed and said, "dear lord you can never say stuff like that again, it makes me feel like a bloody Hufflepuff."

Harry smiled brightly and said, "Yes well even Slytherin have to feel happy and emotional sometimes, I'd rather prefer you felt that way with me at the very least."

Draco uncurled around himself and put the breakfast tray back in his lap. As he picked up the fork once more he said, "Only ever with you Potter, only with you."


End file.
